Egypt vows to open a "new page" with Sudan
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March 27, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – The visiting Egyptian Prime Minister Essam
Sharaf said that his country wants to "open a new page" in its
relations with Sudan as he embarked on his first trip abroad since his
appointment earlier this month.
JPEG - 37.2 kb
Sudan’s Second Vice President Ali Osman Taha (L) welcomes Egyptian
Prime Minister Essam Sharaf upon his arrival at Khartoum’s airport on
March 27, 2011 as he begins his first foreign trip since being
appointed by the army following the ouster of president Hosni Mubarak
(AFP)
A popular uprising that started in late January ended up toppling the
30-years old rule of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak. A supreme
military council led by former defense minister Mohamed Hussein
Tantawi took control of the country afterwards. They appointed former
transport minister Sharaf to form the new government.
Sharaf arrived in Khartoum on Sunday in a high-profile visit and
leading a delegation that includes ministers of foreign affairs,
irrigation and international cooperation.
He was received at the airport by 2nd Vice President Ali Osman Taha
and later met with president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir.
Hundreds of Sudanese and Egyptian expatriates lined up on the Nile
street in Khartoum to welcome the visiting delegation holding banners
saying "Welcome young leader of the revolution".
Sharaf told reporters that he is humbled by the "warmth of the
reception" which he jokingly said exceeded the hot weather of the
Sudanese capital.
He added that the feelings his delegation encountered will mean that
they will not let down the people of the Nile Valley.
"Today we were negotiating [with Sudan] as one delegation and not two
delegations," Sharaf said.
The Egyptian delegation told Sudanese officials that they are willing
to tackle all issues that have historically impacted the relations
between the two countries such as the dispute over the border region
of Halayeb.
Bashir told Sharaf that there is nothing that prevents the creation of
beneficial partnerships in different areas.
The High-Level ministerial Committee between Egypt and Sudan held a
meeting under the chairmanship of Vice President Taha and the Egyptian
PM Sharaf that culminated with an understanding to overcome the
barriers of the past and complete the construction of roads and
achieving food security between the two countries.
Sharaf and Taha signed several memorandums of understandings in the
fields of industry, agriculture, information, health and education.
The Sudanese VP called for boosting the Egyptian investments in Sudan
that he said are currently at $5 billion
In a related issue the Egyptian foreign minister Nabil el-Araby told
reporters in Khartoum that Cairo will be the second after Sudan to
recognize the independence of the South following the referendum
results which pointed to an almost unanimous vote by Southerners in
favor of secession which will become official next July.
"Sudan intends to be the first to recognize Juba (capital of South
Sudan) and Egypt intends to be the second to recognize the south,"
el-Araby said in Khartoum.
Cairo had been concerned that the breakup of Sudan will impact its
share of the Nile waters particularly in light of a move by upstream
countries to amend the colonial agreements that grants Cairo the
lion’s share of the river.
Egypt held dominant right on Nile water following powers granted by a
1929 colonial-era treaty with Britain. Its subsequent 1959 deal with
Sudan gave the two downstream countries more than 90 percent control
of Nile waters.
The NBI signed in May 2010 by Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Ethiopia
will curb that right. Other affected countries, including Kenya,
Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were given one year
to ink the deal.
Kenya signed shortly after the ceremony and Burundi signed earlier
this month, the last possible day for signature.
"We will be offering a new proposal to the Nile Basin states ... and
we hope to find a solution which will not harm any nation," Egypt’s
Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Hussein Ehsan el-Ateifi told
reporters in Khartoum.
He did not go into details but Egyptian government spokesman Magdy
Rady said an unfinished and long-stalled project to create the Jonglei
Canal in South Sudan, which would channel swamp water back into the
Nile, would be discussed in Juba.
"This is still a project — we spent a lot of money on it and there is
still a little money left to finish it," he said, "This project — if
we finish it — it will provide 4 billion extra (litres of water a
year)."
"This will be divided between Egypt and south Sudan — if they are not
in urgent need of it, we are in urgent need of it."
The Egyptian delegation will head to Juba for talks with South Sudan
officials including president Salva Kiir
(ST)
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