Egypt has pledged to finance and mobilise funding for water-related infrastructure on the Nile basin in Uganda, according to a joint communiqué issued on Wednesday following high-level ministerial talks in Cairo.

The Egyptian side reaffirmed its readiness to provide the funding through the Nile Development Fund to achieve mutual benefit and “win-win cooperation,” while adhering to the obligation not to cause significant harm. The commitment was made during the third round of “2+2” ministerial consultations between the two nations, led by Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilam.

The Ugandan delegation, led by Minister of State for International Affairs Okello Henry Oryem and Minister of State for Water Beatrice Atim Anywar, met with their counterparts to review bilateral relations and regional security.

Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to expedite the implementation of technical cooperation in integrated water resources management, based on a memorandum of understanding signed in August 2025. This followed the outcomes of a Joint Steering Committee meeting held on March 30, 2026, intended to support sustainable development in Uganda.

Regarding Nile basin governance, the two countries welcomed a progress report from the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) Special Committee. The committee is tasked with engaging NBI member states that have not ratified the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA). The ministers stated their support for continued engagements aimed at promoting consensus and inclusivity among all Nile basin states.

The discussions also addressed regional stability, specifically the situations in the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea, and the Great Lakes. The parties reiterated their adherence to the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence in accordance with the United Nations Charter and the African Union Constitutive Act.

On the economic front, the ministers deliberated on ways to operationalise agreements in several sectors, including agriculture, livestock, petrochemicals, mining, pharmaceuticals, and medical supplies. They encouraged the Egyptian and Ugandan private sectors to increase bilateral trade and investment by building on the results of the 2025 Egypt-Uganda Business Forum.

Cooperation programmes involving the Egyptian Agency for Partnership for Development, the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding, and various diplomatic and defence colleges in both nations are also set to be enhanced.

The communiqué confirmed that a third session of the Egypt-Uganda Joint Ministerial Commission will be held in Kampala in August 2026, followed by a fourth round of 2+2 ministerial consultations in Uganda during the final quarter of the year.

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