Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia signed an agreement to form trilateral supreme council

Egypt's President, Sudanese President and Ethiopian
Prime Minister
(Image: World Politics Review)

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn and Sudanese President Omar El-Bashir have met on Wednesday, 10 June, in order to discuss further economic and political cooperation and signed an agreement regarding forming of trilateral supreme council for mutual political and economic issues.

Creation of this council is important for strengthening relations and ties between the three countries after some tensions that appeared after Ethiopia started to realize its massive Renaissance Dam project in the Nile basin. The Renaissance Dam is expected to be the biggest hydro-electric station in Africa, and there were serious fears of Egyptian and Sudanese governments that its erection will harm the countries that are downstream.

In March 2015 Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopian have signed a declaration of principles after the rounds of negotiations agreeing that the dam construction will safeguard interests of all the three countries.

In April this year these countries have selected two international consultative bodies aimed to study and analyze the situation and to determine the possible impact of the Dam on the downstream countries.

This Wednesday’s meeting of Egyptian, Sudanese and Ethiopian heads was held ahead of the expected African Economic Summit that is scheduled to be held in Egyptian Southern Sinai city of Sharm El-Sheikh.

This year’s Sharm El-Sheikh African Economic Summit will host three African regional committees: EAC, COMESA and SADC. In addition to that Egypt also signed along with other 25 African countries an agreement regarding forming of the biggest regional free trade area (FTA) integrating the major African committees. The final ratification of this agreement though will be performed by Egypt later, after the Parliamentary elections will be held in the country, as Egypt’s Parliament has to vote and agree on ratifying this agreement.