Egypt's President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi received his Mauritanian counterpart Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, on Sunday in Cairo during the latter's three-day visit to Egypt. The two presidents held individual discussions, followed by an expanded session of talks that included the delegations of the two countries, where the two presidents appreciated the continuous development in Egyptian-Mauritanian relations and the steady progress witnessed by the historical ties between the two countries in recent years, especially with regard to the military and security aspect and the fight against terrorism in the Sahel region. Both leaders also discussed ways to enhance economic cooperation and trade exchange and increase inter-investment between the two brotherly countries during the coming period, according to the spokesperson of the Egyptian presidency. During the meeting, it was agreed to convene the joint higher committee at the level of the two foreign ministers next July, during which a number of cooperation agreements in various fields will be signed, in a way that enhances the frameworks of Egyptian-Mauritanian cooperation and partnership and achieves the interests of the two peoples. The spokesperson added that the meeting witnessed an exchange of views on mechanisms for advancing joint Arab and African action, with a discussion of developments on a number of regional issues, especially Sudan, Libya, Syria and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). In a press conference following the meetings, Al-Sisi expressed Egypt's deep appreciation for the deep historical ties it has with Mauritania, in light of the brotherly relations between the two brotherly peoples and countries. He confirmed that he held intensive and constructive discussions with President Ghazouani, during which we dealt with various bilateral, regional and international issues. The two leaders agreed to develop cooperation in the economic, investment and trade fields, as well as speed up preparations for holding the next session of the Egyptian-Mauritanian Joint Higher Committee during the current year, in a way that serves efforts to support relations, deepen the bilateral partnership between the two countries and strengthen cooperation and coordination frameworks regarding all issues of common concern. The two presidents also agreed to strengthen cooperation in the African arena. "We discussed the latest developments on the Arab scene, where we agreed on the importance of advancing the mechanisms of joint Arab action, with the aim of preserving Arab national security and protecting the unity, sovereignty, and capabilities of Arab countries," Al-Sisi said. He added: "We also discussed the latest developments in the Palestinian cause and the efforts exerted to preserve the rights of the Palestinian people and achieve their aspirations for an independent state, on the lines of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital." Al-Sisi referred to the developments in the Libyan crisis, stressing the consensus in visions, on the need to hold presidential and parliamentary elections simultaneously, and the evacuation of all foreign forces, mercenaries and foreign fighters, without exception and within a specific time frame, in implementation of the relevant international decisions. He pointed out that they discussed developments in the situation in Sudan, and we stressed the importance of an immediate and sustainable cessation of fire, preserving Sudanese national institutions, preventing them from collapsing and intensifying efforts to provide urgent humanitarian and relief aid to alleviate the suffering of those affected. Regarding the GERD issue, the two leaders affirmed that Egyptian water security is an integral part of Arab water security, and stressed the importance of urging Ethiopia to show the political will to adopt any of the compromise solutions that were put on the negotiating table and that meet its interests without trampling on rights and interests downstream countries, in order to conclude a binding legal agreement regarding the filling and operation of the disputed Ethiopian dam.
