Cairo will continue to strengthen its diplomatic and economic ties with Nairobi, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has said.

            Speaking recently on the sidelines of the fourth edition of the World Youth Forum (WYF) in Sharm El-Sheikh in South Sinai, the Egyptian Head of State said that the agreements and pacts signed with Kenya are because Egypt appreciates the East African nation’s role as an ally in the fight against terrorism in the region.

“This is important because terrorists groups pose a big threat to the stability of both our countries and that of the entire region and beyond. We should not allow any ground for terrorist ground to invade our territories, that’s why these agreements with Kenya are important,” he said.

President El-Sisi added that his government has fixed a policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, insisting that dialogue was the only way out of the current political crisis in Sudan.

The transitional process, he said, would help the country to a path of carrying out peaceful elections, as Egypt continues to support the sovereign council and its significance in bringing stability not just to Sudan, but also the entire region.

He said, “It is lack of dialogue and consensus that has hurt the country so much. Dialogue and reconciliation work much better than instability because protests will continue and the present and the future of the county will be all lost. Egypt is keen on the stability of regions not just in Sudan, but also Libya, South Sudan, Somalia and Yemen.”

On Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam, El-Sisi said since he assumed power, he has been keen on dialogue in seeking a peaceful solution to the issue, “but unfortunately, we have not yet reached anywhere in terms of having a binding agreement based on the principles we agreed upon and signed in 2015.”

He added that Egypt is and has always been ready to cooperate on a binding agreement before the dam becomes fully operational, no solution has been reached, hence the move to seek arbitration from the UN Security Council.

“This is not just an issue about Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan, but a matter of grave concern for all the other countries on the Nile Basin who will be affected; that’s why cooperation is important. We appreciate Ethiopia’s concerns and are ready to sit down again and address these issues, but they also have to appreciate our concerns and that of 100 million Egyptians,” said El-Sisi.

The WYF aims to bring together young people from across the world, enabling them to engage in discussions on development issues, and send a message of peace to the world.