CAIRO, March 27 (MENA) – President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio stressed the importance of respecting national sovereignty and working to maintain stability in the Horn of Africa.

In a joint press conference following talks at Ittihadiya Palace on Thursday, the two leaders called for a permanent African seat at the UN Security Council, stressing the importance of African unity based on the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration.

President Sisi emphasized Egypt’s support for stability in West Africa and the Sahel and stressed the need for a comprehensive approach to combating terrorism that includes addressing economic and social challenges.

He reaffirmed that Nile water is a matter of national survival for Egypt and called for increased cooperation among Nile Basin countries to secure shared benefits.

On Gaza, both presidents called for a permanent and sustainable ceasefire, resumption of negotiations, and the establishment of a Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The two leaders also agreed to expand cooperation in the domains of agriculture, infrastructure, irrigation, fisheries, and food security, and to strengthen economic and investment ties between between both countries. (MENA)

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