Sisi to head Egyptian delegation in AU Summit in Ethiopia

Tuesday 27-01-2015 03:33 PM
Sisi to head Egyptian delegation in AU Summit in Ethiopia

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi giving a speech on the occasion of the Tenth of Ramadan/Six of October 1973 war - Aswat Masriya

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CAIRO, Jan 27 (Aswat Masriya) - President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will be in Ethiopia on Thursday to head Egypt's delegation in the African Summit in Addis Ababa.

The 24th African Union Summit started on Friday and will to continue for the week, ending Saturday. Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri is already in the Ethiopian capital for the summit.

This is Sisi's first visit to Ethiopia since he was elected president in June 2014.

Egypt's relationship with Ethiopia has been tense since the latter started constructing the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in May, 2013.

Egypt believes the dam would negatively affect its share of the Nile water. The hydroelectric dam is being built on the Blue Nile, which provides Egypt with 85 percent of its Nile water share. 

Sisi had expressed last August his willingness to visit Ethiopia to resolve the issue while preserving Egypt's water share.

During his three-day visit to the African country, Sisi is scheduled to meet with African heads of state to strengthen bilateral ties, reported state-run news agency MENA.

The title for the 24th African Union Summit is "Women's Empowerment and Development towards Africa's Agenda 2063."

The African Union suspended Egypt from all its activities following the military's ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi in July 2013, which was prompted by mass protests against his rule. The suspension lasted 11 months and was lifted after Egypt elected a new president last year.

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