“Energy and food security” at the heart of the summit between 5 Arab leaders – VivAfrik

Egypt is hosting the leaders of Iraq, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain on Tuesday, August 24, 2022 for a summit, state media reported. On the program of discussions: the issues of food and energy security, water resources and “the Yemeni, Libyan, Syrian and Palestinian issues”.

A spokesperson for the Egyptian presidency confirmed the summit would be held on Tuesday following local media announced it for Monday, August 23, 2022. Jordan also confirmed that the “consultative summit” would take place on Tuesday.

In addition to President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, this meeting will bring together in the Egyptian city of Al-Alamein (north) the Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the Iraqi Prime Minister Moustafa al-Kazimi, King Abdallah II of Jordan and the King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa.

The five leaders met on Monday August 23, 2022 following the arrival of Mr. Sisi’s guests, said a statement from the Egyptian presidency. “They exchanged views on ways to strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation” between their countries.

According to the official Egyptian daily Al-Ahram, the summit will feature the issues of “energy and food security”. In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the price of cereals, wheat in particular, broke records.

The rise has been particularly difficult for countries such as Egypt, which depend “at least 30% on Ukraine and Russia” for their wheat imports, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. agriculture (FAO).

The five Arab leaders will discuss, according to Al-Ahram, the issue of “water security” and that of the “Renaissance dam”. Ethiopia announced on August 12, 2022 that it had completed the 3rd phase of filling this mega dam on the Nile despite protests from Sudan and Egypt, worried downstream for their water supply.

Moctar FICOU / VivAfrik