President El-Sisi’s Speech at Joint Press Conference with Djibouti President Guelleh

alhadath – cairo

“In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful”

My brother, Your Excellency President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh,

President of the Republic of Djibouti

Ladies and gentlemen,

It gives me the utmost pleasure to meet with my brother, His Excellency President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, during my second visit to the Republic of Djibouti, this dear country that holds a special status in the heart of every Egyptian.

I would also like to express my deep gratitude and appreciation to the brotherly Republic of Djibouti for the sincere warmth and hospitality we have experienced during this visit, which has made me feel entirely at home, among family and brothers.

I have come here today, carrying a message from the Egyptian people expressing their pride in the historical bonds and strategic partnership that unite Egypt and Djibouti.

It is also my privilege to extend my congratulations to the leadership and people of Djibouti on the well-deserved diplomatic success of H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf’s election as Chairperson of the African Union Commission, wishing him all success in his esteemed mission.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I held extensive talks with my brother, His Excellency President Guelleh, during which we focused on bilateral cooperation across an array of priority sectors for our countries. Within this framework, we agreed to initiate an ambitious joint program with the objective of ensuring energy security in Djibouti. This program encompasses a range of projects pertaining to the rehabilitation of the national electricity grid; a solar power plant project in the village of Omar Jiga, which is slated for official inauguration within days; and the establishment and expansion of solar and wind power plants in various parts of Djibouti. I have confirmed to His Excellency President Guelleh Egypt’s commitment to sharing its outstanding expertise with our bothers in Djibouti to achieve energy security for this brotherly country.
We also agreed on the importance of encouraging investments between the two countries, notably in the area of ports and free zones. I discussed with His Excellency President Guelleh the implementation of joint ventures between the Egyptian and Djiboutian public and private sectors. These include the establishment of a logistical hub for Egyptian companies in the free zone in Djibouti; the project for the expansion of the Doraleh Container Terminal; as well as studies underway for the construction of roadways linking the Port of Djibouti with the road network in Djibouti and the broader region, thereby fostering overland trade.

I also concurred with my brother His Excellency the President of Djibouti on the need to forge closer economic and trade relations in the next period through earnest and practical steps. In this regard, it gives me pleasure to announce the establishment of “The Joint Egyptian-Djiboutian Business Council”. We also agreed on the inauguration of the “Egypt-Djibouti Bank” within the coming days, and gave directives to review the past contractual frameworks pertinent to the development and protection of investments between our two countries.

Moreover, we also agreed to build upon the existing cooperation in the domain of capacity building and the qualification of national cadres. We also addressed existing opportunities for collaboration within the sectors of healthcare and pharmaceuticals. Additionally, we witnessed the signing of a number of Memoranda of Understanding, MoUs, designed to strengthen joint cooperation in the fields of higher education, youth and sports, and media. We firmly believe that broader prospects for joint collaboration between our countries remain to be explored.
Esteemed guests,

His Excellency President Guelleh and I extensively discussed the current situation in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region. In this regard, we stressed the imperative to support all efforts aimed at bolstering the pillars of security and stability in Somalia, safeguarding its unity and upholding its territorial integrity and sovereignty.

We categorically rejected any attempts to undermine the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sudan, including the rejection of any endeavors to establish a parallel government. We also emphasized the crucial necessity to preserve the state’s national institutions and enhance the accessibility of humanitarian aid to all areas.

Furthermore, we addressed the common challenges confronting our countries in the Red Sea. His Excellency President Guelleh and I affirmed our unequivocal rejection of any threats to the security and freedom of navigation within this vital international trade artery, and underlined the critical need to adhere to the principles and foundations of regional security.

An agreement has been reached between His Excellency the President of Djibouti and myself regarding the exclusive responsibility of the coastal states of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in the governance and security of this significant international maritime passage.

During our talks today, we extensively discussed the Palestinian cause. We underscored the steadfast position of the Arab States on the imperative of reaching a sustainable settlement to the Palestinian issue, based on the two-state solution and the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to establish their independent state along the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. We vehemently reject the displacement of the Palestinians from their land under any pretext, and affirm our complete readiness to cooperate with all international partners in the implementation the Arab-Islamic plan for the reconstruction of Gaza.
My brother, Your Excellency,

At the conclusion, once again I extend my sincere gratitude and appreciation to Your Excellency and to the esteemed Djiboutian people on the generous hospitality and warm welcome we have received. I would like to express Egypt’s deep pride in the fraternal and strategic relations it shares with your brotherly country. I look forward to continuing our meetings and consultations, in a manner that fulfils the aspirations of our two brotherly peoples.

Thank you