Egypt and South Sudan action group to study agricultural cooperation

©english.ahram.org.eg

CAIRO: Egypt and South Sudan have agreed to form an action group to study ways for agricultural cooperation to be implemented.

The action group will also study bilateral cooperation in the fields of capacity building, technical assistance in research studies, seed production, agricultural extension, agricultural cooperatives, and value chains.

Egyptian Minister of Agriculture El-Sayed El-Quseir met his South Sudanese counterpart Josephine Lagu, who is visiting Egypt as part of enhancing bilateral cooperation.

El-Quseir said that both sides had agreed to establish three Egyptian joint farms in South Sudan including a fishery and animal husbandry.

He said that both sides were to draft agreements to be jointly adopted and signed to enter into force.

The minister underlined the importance of this visit, which coincided with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s trip to South Sudan to meet President Salva Kiir.

El-Quseir said that such a visit reflected the depth of relations between the two countries.

Lagu thanked the Egyptian government and agriculture minister for her visit, which was aimed at enhancing bilateral relations in agriculture and added value chains to boost and develop the economy. She added that such cooperation also covered technology transfer, learning from Egyptian expertise, establishing fisheries and animal husbandries, in addition to developing animal production which would lead to South Sudan achieving food security.

She said that after returning to Juba she would be expecting Egyptian experts to take on the operating procedures needed to activate bilateral cooperation on the ground.

El-Sisi met Kiir to discuss regional and international issues of mutual concern, especially developments in the strategic areas of the Horn of Africa and West Africa.

Both presidents also discussed ways of containing the potential repercussions of such developments on the region.

El-Sisi said that his country’s vision was based on the Nile River being a source of cooperation and development for all people of the Nile Basin countries.

He reiterated that his country would remain a faithful supporter of the South Sudanese people.

“We are committed to giving all forms of support through the existing mechanisms between the two countries,” he said at a press conference after his talks with Kiir.

“I call on the international community to fulfil its pledges and commitments to South Sudan in its path toward a better future. We support efforts to lift international sanctions on South Sudan so as to support the current political transitional process.”

El-Sisi hailed efforts by South Sudan’s political powers to press ahead with implementing the benefits of the transitional period in line with the articles of the activated peace agreement, and to support the efforts of the National Unity Government in drafting a new constitution that would achieve the aspirations of the South Sudanese toward peace, stability, and development.

“We also agreed to further enhance cooperation in the fields of transferring Egyptian expertise, providing technical assistance, and capacity building of national calibers in the brotherly country of South Sudan. This would be achieved by resuming the training programs provided by the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development in fields such as education, health, agriculture and irrigation, as well as other civil and military fields.”