Ashraf AboArafe
On Thursday, 18 December, Dr. Badr Abdelatty, Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration, and Egyptian Expatriates, received Mr. Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation of the United Republic of Tanzania. The meeting was attended by Mr. Palamagamba Kabudi, Tanzania’s Minister of Information, Culture, Arts, and Sports, and focused on strengthening bilateral relations and advancing cooperation across a wide range of fields between the two brotherly nations.
Minister Abdelatty extended his warm congratulations to his Tanzanian counterpart on the re-election of H.E. President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan for a second term, affirming Egypt’s aspiration to continue close cooperation with the Tanzanian leadership. He emphasized Cairo’s commitment to elevating bilateral ties in a manner that promotes prosperity, welfare, and shared benefit for both peoples, noting the growing momentum in Egyptian–Tanzanian relations and the mutual keenness to deepen political consultation and understanding to open broader horizons of partnership.
The Egyptian Foreign Minister highlighted the steadily increasing interest of Egyptian business leaders and investors in the Tanzanian market, reflected in the successive visits of Egyptian economic, investment, and trade delegations, as well as the rising number of Egyptian companies operating in Tanzania.
Minister Abdelatty underscored the importance of further boosting trade exchange and expanding investments in infrastructure and major national projects. In this context, he referred to the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Dam, currently being implemented by a consortium of Egyptian companies, which aims to meet Tanzania’s electricity needs in line with presidential directives to accord the project the highest priority. He described the dam as a model example of cooperation among Nile Basin partners, including upstream and downstream countries, in hydropower projects, reaffirming Egypt’s commitment to supporting development across the Nile Basin.
The Minister reiterated Cairo’s readiness to provide additional technical assistance and capacity-building support to Tanzania in various sectors through the organization of training programs in priority areas. Both sides stressed the importance of continued coordination and consultation on African issues, particularly institutional reform of the African Union, as a cornerstone for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of its organs. They agreed that reform should proceed in a systematic, gradual, transparent, and inclusive manner, with the participation of all member states.
On water security, Minister Abdelatty emphasized the importance of cooperation and integration along the Nile River to achieve mutual benefit and shared interests. He highlighted the need to uphold the spirit of consensus and fraternity among sister states of the Southern Nile Basin, to restore inclusivity within the Nile Basin Initiative, and to reject unilateral measures in the Eastern Nile. He welcomed the steps taken within the consultative process endorsed by the Council of Ministers of the Nile Basin Initiative to restore consensus and implement development projects that serve common interests in accordance with international law, while safeguarding the rights of all Nile Basin states.
For his part, the Tanzanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation praised the depth of Egyptian–Tanzanian relations and the fruitful cooperation and coordination between the two countries across political and economic spheres. He expressed deep appreciation for Egypt’s efforts in constructing the Julius Nyerere Dam, describing it as a landmark in Tanzania’s development journey and a living testament to the strength of bilateral cooperation. He also conveyed Tanzania’s aspiration for H.E. the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt to visit Tanzania to mark the inauguration of the Julius Nyerere Dam, in recognition of its powerful symbolism and of what a strong partnership between the two brotherly nations can achieve.
