President El-Sisi Receives President of Burundi

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received today the Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye in Al-Ittihadiya palace; the official ceremonial welcome was performed, the guard of honor was reviewed, and the two national anthems were played.

As stated by the Spokesman for the Egyptian Presidency, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Burundi’s President held discussions, followed by expanded talks between both countries’ delegations.

President El-Sisi welcomed his brother President Ndayishimiye on his first official visit to Egypt, expressing his appreciation for the close historical relations, joint cooperation and common vision the two brotherly countries share.

His Excellency further emphasized Egypt’s keenness to strengthen the bilateral relations and consolidate strategic cooperation with Burundi in various fields, especially at the economic, trade, security, and military levels.

The President added that arrangements are being made for holding a joint committee between the two countries as soon as possible.

The President also affirmed Egypt’s keenness to support Burundi’s development needs, particularly in the sectors of infrastructure, electricity, health, mining, and agriculture.

To that end, Egypt would maximize the investments of the specialized Egyptian companies that acquired experience in these fields. Egypt would also share its expertise and help build capabilities through courses and scholarships which it offers to contribute to building the Burundian cadres.

For his part, President Ndayishimiye emphasized his country’s profound appreciation for the long and distinguished historical relations with Egypt.

He further stressed Burundi’s keenness to enhance the bilateral relations in various fields, especially trade and economic cooperation, in line with the deep and distinguished political relations between both countries.

The Burundian President expressed his country’s keenness to maximize the technical support provided by Egypt to the Burundian cadres to build their capabilities.

In the light of the ambitious development agenda that Burundi seeks to implement, President Ndayishimiye further expressed his country’s interest in get support from the Egyptian companies operating in the field of infrastructure.

President Ndayishimiye praised the pivotal role Egypt plays in the region to maintain peace and security.

In this context, he further commended the Egyptian stances aimed at achieving stability in the Africa’s Great Lakes Region, East Africa, and the Nile Basin.

The Burundian President said these stances were reflected in the Egyptian support aimed at resolving the pending issues in this regard during the past period. President Ndayishimiye also praised Egypt’s stance in support of the integrity and sovereignty of Burundi in all regional and international forums.

The Spokesman also added that the talks touched on the latest regional developments of common interest, particularly those pertaining to the Grand Renaissance Dam issue. It was agreed to intensify coordination between the two countries during the coming period on this vital and critical issue.

President El-Sisi stressed that the Egyptian people attach most importance to the water issue as it is considered as a national security issue.

He also affirmed Egypt's adherence to its water rights through reaching a legally binding agreement that guarantees clear rules for the filling and operation of the dam.

At the end of the discussions, the two presidents witnessed the signing ceremony of a number of memorandums of understanding between the two brotherly countries.

These memorandums of understanding are related to the integrated management of water resources in Burundi and visa waiver agreements.

The said memorandums are in the fields of media, education, tourism, and culture. The two presidents also held a joint press conference, where His Excellency President El-Sisi delivered a speech on this occasion.