12 - 18 July 2001
Issue No.542
|
Al-Ahram Weekly Online 12 - 18 July 2001 Issue No.542 |
||
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Current issue | Previous issue | Site map | ||
Southern hopes
Egyptian leaders and businessmen are enthusiastic about stepping up economic ties to Sudan, but are the string of agreements signed between the two sides anything more than symbolic? Soha Abdelaty comes down to earth
In the increasingly energetic drive to clinch lasting partnerships with neighbouring Sudan, Egyptian governmental and private-sector leaders met with their Sudanese counterparts 7-8 July in Khartoum for the first meeting of a committee formed to map out strategies for greater economic cooperation.
Upon his arrival in Khartoum, Prime Minister Atef Ebeid pledged his dedication to improving Egyptian-Sudanese relations, saying that "Egypt and Sudan are partners in action towards greater development along the banks of the Nile." Sudanese vice-president Ali Osman Taha, who co-chairs the committee with Ebeid, echoed the prime minister's enthusiasm, telling reporters at the arrival ceremony that the work of the group "will be an important transition in cooperation between the two countries."
After two days of deliberations between ministers, experts and businessmen, 20 agreements, protocols and memoranda of understanding were signed along with an executive programme for cooperation. The committee's final communiqué delineated several areas in which cooperation between the two sides could be fruitful, including agriculture, trade and education. The communiqué also committed the Egyptian side to promoting economic development in Sudan.
The process of improving ties was boosted in May when President Hosni Mubarak and Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir met in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh. The two leaders agreed to create a joint businessmen's council and decided to upgrade a bilateral committee for cooperation to become the Supreme Joint Committee.
A five-year chill in relations between Egypt and Sudan was triggered by a 1995 failed assassination attempt against President Mubarak in Addis Ababa. Sudan was accused at the time of training and providing refuge to some of the assailants. Revival of ties between the two countries began at the end of 1999, spurred by Al-Bashir's dismissal of Islamist ideologue and then parliament speaker Hassan Al-Turabi. Soon afterwards, Egypt reappointed an ambassador to Khartoum.
The committee meetings coincided with Sudan's decision to restructure and further liberalise its economic policies, an Egyptian diplomatic source told Al- Ahram Weekly. In this respect, the source said, prospects for action by the committee and the businessmen's council are promising. Taha is clearly of the same opinion. He told reporters on Saturday that the private sector will play a major role in bolstering relations.
Although the two sides have established various fields of economic cooperation, the significance is not in the agreements themselves, but in what they stand for. "They are a symbol of improved relations, an important sign of progress. And an indication that there is more to come," said the diplomatic source.
However, the source went on to question the outcome of the Khartoum meetings, stating that better preparatory work was needed. Instead of focusing their efforts on coming up with new agreements, the committee should have re-examined old agreements. "[The purpose of the committee] is not just signing new agreements. Past agreements need more study, activation or even cancellation," the source suggested.
At any rate, the meetings seem to have set a precedent in establishing a definite climate for cooperation. At a news conference in Khartoum following the conclusion of the meeting, Ebeid affirmed that there is now a "mature and positive mood," combined with a strong desire to continue boosting bilateral relations. "This mood that seeks progress and development must become a permanent mood, and we are determined to do this," he said.
The two sides continue to have unresolved political and security issues, including the issue of confiscated Egyptian property in Sudan. Asked about the property issue, Taha said: "An agreement will be reached to resolve all matters that have cast shadows on Egyptian- Sudanese relations during the past period. An agreement will be reached on the Egyptian property, and there will be no problems over it."
Another issue addressed during the two-day meetings was the ongoing civil war in Sudan and the Egyptian-Libyan peace proposal that was accepted by the Sudanese government last week. Once again, Ebeid affirmed Egypt's long- standing policy of upholding the territorial unity of Sudan. "The unity and stability of Sudan will inevitably have a positive impact on the northern section of the Nile Valley," he said.
© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||
| ARCHIVES Letter from the Editor Editorial Board Subscription Advertise! |
WEEKLY ONLINE: www.ahram.org.eg/weekly Updated every Saturday at 11.00 GMT, 2pm local time weeklyweb@ahram.org.eg |
 Al-Ahram Organisation |
Recommend this page