Egyptian embassies abroad began Wednesday receiving ballot papers from expats voting in the second phase of Egypt s parliamentary elections, in a race heavily fielded by a coalition led by the Mostaqbal Watan Party. Embassies in New Zealand, the UK, Spain, Italy, Japan, Sudan, South Sudan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, among others, began receiving mail-in ballots at 9am local time. Around 140 polling stations in embassies and consulates in 124 countries opened for mail-in voting by Egyptians abroad. The second stage of the elections covers 13 governorates, including Cairo, Qalyubiya, Dakahliya, Menoufiya, Gharbiya, Kafr El-Sheikh, Sharqiya, Damietta, Port Said, Ismailia, Suez, North Sinai and South Sinai. Voting is scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Expat voters select candidates from the individual list system depending on their electoral district, and others from the closed list system. Registered voters abroad were asked to print their ballot papers on Monday and Tuesday by entering their registration code on the National Election Authority (NEA) website. Both ballot papers must be placed in envelopes with a voter declaration, photocopies of the voter’s national ID card or passport, and residency documents. The papers must be sent via express mail to the electoral committee of their country’s diplomatic mission. Around 2,085 candidates are competing for 70 individual seats, while 284 candidates are competing under the list system in two districts. A domestic vote is set to follow on 7-8 November, with the results of the second stage to be announced 15 November. The start of the second stage comes days after the NEA announced the results of the first phase of the elections, with the electoral list led by the pro-government Mostaqbal Watan Party sweeping the majority of votes. The number of seats that were allocated for the first stage was 284, with 142 seats for each of the individual and electoral list systems. Some 32 candidates in four governorates secured seats under the individual system, with 220 candidates set to compete in run-offs later this month. The run-offs for the first phase will be held abroad on 21-23 November, while run-offs for the second phase abroad will be held on 5-7 December. The run-offs will be held domestically for the first phase on 23-24 November, with run-offs for the second phase at home to be held 7-8 December. The final results of run-offs for the first phase will be announced 30 November, while final results for the second phase are set be announced 14 December.

Egypt condemned “in the strongest terms” a terrorist attack in Vienna on Monday that killed at least five people, including an attacker, and injured at least 15 others as gunmen opened fire in six different locations in the city. In an official statement, Egypt’s foreign ministry express its condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. It stressed its support to the government and people of Austria over the “brutal attack”, expressing its confidence in the Austrian people in overcoming the tragic situation. The ministry also reiterated its firm rejection of all types of violence, terrorism and extremism; urging the necessity of joining and intensifying international efforts to combat terrorism in all its forms. On Monday, an unknown number of gunmen carrying long firearms opened fire into crowds in bars during the last evening before a nationwide curfew is imposed due to the Coronavirus pandemic in the country. Police said the attack was carried out by at least one suspect who was shot and killed by officers. Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nehammer said in a press conference that the known attacker was an Islamic State sympathiser. It remains unclear if the suspect acted alone, as authorities continue to inspect over 20,000 videos to determine how many assailants were involved in the attack.

Egyptian expats started on Monday printing their ballot papers ahead of the start of voting in the second phase of the parliamentary elections on Wednesday, in a race heavily fielded by a coalition led by Mostaqbal Watan Party. Around 140 polling stations in the country’s embassies and consulates in 124 countries will open for mail-in voting by Egyptians abroad in the second phase of the parliamentary elections, which starts Wednesday, according to the National Election Authority (NEA). The second stage of the elections covers 13 governorates and includes Cairo, Qalyubiya, Dakahliya, Meoufiya, Gharbiya, Kafr El-Sheikh, Sharqiya, Damietta, Port Said, Ismailia, Suez, North Sinai and South Sinai. Electoral silence for the second phase of the elections began Sunday . Voting is scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Expat voters will select candidates from the individual list system depending on their electoral district, and others from the closed list system. Registered voters abroad were asked to print their ballot papers on Monday and Tuesday by entering their registration code on the NEA website. Both ballot papers must be placed in envelopes with a voter declaration, photocopies of the voter’s national ID card or passport, and residency documents. The papers must be sent via express mail to the electoral committee of their country’s diplomatic mission. Around 2,085 candidates are competing for 70 individual seats, while 284 candidates are competing under the list system in two districts. A domestic vote is set to follow on 7-8 November, with the results of the second stage to be announced on 15 November. The start of the second stage comes one day after the NEA announced the results of the first phase of the elections, with the electoral list led by Mostaqbal Watan Party sweeping up the majority of votes. The number of seats that were allocated for the first stage was 284, with 142 seats for each of the individual and electoral list systems. 32 candidates in four governorates secured seats under the individual system, with 220 candidates set to compete in run-offs later this month. The run-offs for the first phase will be held abroad on 21-23 November, while run-offs for the second phase abroad will be held on 5-7 December. They will be held domestically for the first phase of 23-24 November, with run-offs for the second phase at home held on 7-8 December. The final results of run-offs for the first phase will be announced on 30 November, while final results for the second phase are set be announced on 14 December.

Egypt s foreign minister Sameh Shoukry met on Friday with the Russian deputy foreign minister and special envoy to the Middle East, Mikhail Bogdanov, to discuss means to boost bilateral relations, the Egyptian foreign ministry stated. The two sides touched upon a number of significant bilateral files related to ongoing projects that are part of the Egyptian-Russian strategic partnership. Topping the discussions were the Russian executive measures to set up an industrial zone in Egypt s Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCEZ) and the construction of the Dabaa plant, Egypt’s first nuclear power plant. The plant is to be built in the Marsa Matrouh governorate on the Mediterranean coast, 250km west of Alexandria. The Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation (ROSATOM) will develop the plant, which will be owned and operated by the Nuclear Power Plant Authority of Egypt. Shoukry also reviewed the latest developments concerning the revived talks over the massive dam Ethiopia is building on the Blue Nile, which is of concern to Egypt and Sudan. Bogdanov expressed his country s hope the three African countries will reach a consensual deal that preserves their people s interests. The three countries started this week a new round of talks on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), reviving negotiations stalled since August. The meeting also tackled joint coordination to combat terrorism and extremism, in addition to a number of regional issues related to Libya, Syria, Palestine, Yemen, Lebanon, and Sudan, the statement added.

Egypt’s Minister of Education Tarek Shawky revealed on Wednesday that the were 49 recorded coronavirus cases out of 25 million students in the school system since the start of academic year on 17 October. In TV statements to DMC TV network, Shawky explained that the numbers were based on a report presented by Minister of Health Hala Zayed about coronavirus cases in schools and educational institutions. “There are 19 cases in Cairo governorate, one case in six governorates, two or three cases in other governorates, and no cases in 14," he said. He added "there was nothing to worry about as the numbers were reassuring and not alarming and the cases in the schools were without symptoms." Minister Shawky said the World Health Organization (WHO) stressed the necessity of re-opening schools because there are lower rates of coronavirus infection among students and teachers worldwide. He cited a recent report issued in the United States called for the necessity of opening schools so students could have a direct education experience with teachers. The Ministry of Education has adopted preventative measures against the coronavirus to coincide with the start of the academic year including the implementation of a system using both in-school learning and e-learning to reduce the high density of students in classrooms. The ministry also mandated social distancing and face masks in all schools. According to coronavirus guidelines adopted by the education ministry, classrooms would be closed for 28 days in the case of more than one student testing positive for coronavirus in a period of two weeks. Also, a school would be closed for 28 days in case two or more classrooms in the school are closed due to coronavirus cases. A multi-school complex would also be shut down for 28 days in the case of closure of more than one school in the complex. Schools in a village or city can be closed on orders of the governorate in the event of quarantining in this village or city, and until the period of quarantine is over. Egypt has officially reported 107,030 cases of coronavirus including 6,234 fatalities and 99,174 full recoveries since the start of the pandemic. The number of coronavirus cases in the country has witnessed an uptick in the last several weeks. Over the past two weeks, Egyptian officials have urged caution in anticipation of any spike that could result in a second wave, especially with the resurgence in coronavirus cases in many European countries, particularly with the advent of autumn.

Egypt s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi praised on Wednesday the Prophet Muhammad “who established with wisdom and sound instructions great and immortal pillars and foundations for the whole of humanity." In a speech at the event, the president stressed that Islam champions freedoms. "The message of Islam that we have received from our noble prophet came as a victory for freedom; the freedom of faith, choice and belief and the freedom of opinion". "But these freedoms have not been absolute so that they are not turned by whim of the human soul to chaos that permits sabotage and destruction. Also, these freedoms should stop at the limits of other people s freedoms". The president s comments came during the celebration of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad at Al-Manara International Conference Center in Cairo. The event was attended by the Minister of Religious Endowments, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, the Prime Minister, and a number of religious and state officials. The president rejected attempts to use Islam to justify extremism. "Justifying extremism under the cover of religion is beyond Islam ... it is forbidden and prohibited ... it is no more than a tool to achieve limited interests." "The purpose of religions is achieving the interests of nations and the benefit of the people, through tolerance and ease, not through extremism and hardship." The president argued that Islamic jurisprudence is based on the concepts of mercy and tolerance. “Our celebration today of the birthday of the master of people and the prophet of mercy - peace be upon him- invokes all the meanings of mercy in our true religion, and reminds us that the tolerant Sharia of Islam is based on building, not demolishing, and this is anindication of what God Almighty said: ‘We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the world." The president reiterated his call for renewing religious discourse to protect society from the ploys of what he described as "the people of evil." This “requires the continuation of the heavy task and responsibility that religious scholars undertake to correct misconceptions, in order to protect society and the state from the plans of sabotage, and in order for the whole world to realize the tolerance of the great Islamic religion that is based on mercy, tolerance and peaceful coexistence among people … among all people.” “Hence, the issue of wise awareness and a correct understanding of religion will remain one of the priorities in the current stage in confronting the people of evil,” the President said. He added that these [evil] people “distort the meanings of the [religious] texts, quote them out of context and interpret them according to their purposes or rely on wrong interpretations of them." Minister of Religious Endowments Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa gifted the president two newly published religious books at the event. In a short speech, Gomaa commended the president on his stances against terrorism. "We did not forget and will not forget the day when you took a great patriotic stance at a very difficult time and said ‘you will take bullets directed at the chests of Egyptians, " Gomaa said. He also warned against what he described as "fourth generation warfare." "Armed gangs are one of the most important means of fourth-generation warfare to destroy countries," Gomaa stated. The president honoured a number of Islamic clerics during the event. The Prophet’s birthday is a holiday widely celebrated across Egypt and the Islamic world. The observance of the birthday of the Prophet is commemorated on the 12th of Rabi al-awwal, the third month in the Islamic calendar, which falls this year on Thursday, 29 October. The anniversary will be a paid holiday for public and private sector workers. More to follow

The Chairman of Sudan s Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan arrived in Cairo on Tuesday for a one-day visit to meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, an official statement by the council read. Al-Burhan is accompanied by Sudanese foreign minister Omar Gamaleldin and head of the Sudanese general intelligence Jamal Abdul-Hamid. The visit comes days after Israel and Sudan agreed on Friday to normalize relations in a deal brokered with the help of the United States, making Sudan the third Arab country to set aside hostilities with Israel in the past two months.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has issued a decree renewing the state of emergency nationwide for three months starting Monday. According to the decree, whch was published in the official gazaette, the renewal allows the Egyptian armed forces and police to “take [measures] necessary to confront the dangers and the funding of terrorism, and to safeguard security in all parts of the country.” The state of emergency, which was first declared in April 2017 after two deadly church bombings that killed dozens of people, has been extended on the grounds of fighting terrorism, implementing development programs in a stable climate, and recently containing the coronavirus crisis. It has been renewed since for periods not exceeding three months, in accordance with the Egyptian constitution.

Polls reopened in several areas in Egypt on Sunday for the second and final voting day domestically for the new House of Representatives elections first stage, which are held amid strict preventive measures against the coronavirus pandemic. Poll stations reopened in 14 governorates at 9 am and will close at 9 pm.The National Election Authority (NEA) said it has not received complaints of violations related to the voting process on Saturday. The governorates included in the voting were Giza, Fayoum, Beni Suef, Minya, Assiut, El-Wadi El-Gedid, Sohag, Qena, Luxor, Aswan, Red Sea, Alexandria, Beheira and Matrouh.The results of the first round will be announced by 1 November at the latest. Many older people in the northern Beheira governorate were keen to participate in the elections to vote for their candidates. Beheira has more than nine constituencies and four million people who are entitled to vote in the House elections. As many as 214 candidates in the governorate are competing on 18 parliamentary seats.The first stage of run-offs will be held on 21-23 November for Egyptians abroad, and on 23-24 November at home. The final results will be declared on 30 November at the latest. The total number of eligible voters in Egypt is 63 million, out of a population of 100 million. The eligible voters in the first stage are estimated at nearly 33 million. The new House election is the second to be held in Egypt amid the coronavirus pandemic, the first being the Senate vote, which was held in August. Almost 4,000 individual candidates and eight coalition lists are competing over 568 seats in this election. A total of 284 seats will be up for grabs in the first stage, with half – 142 seats – allocated for individual candidates, and the other half for party lists. The second phase will see a first round on 7-8 November and run-offs on 7-8 December. The pro-government Mostaqbal Watan Party, which currently holds majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate, is fielding 284 candidates, the largest number from any party. The party is contesting all 143 individual districts as well as the four party list districts in the race. The number of women running in this election has increased from previous times. The Egyptian Centre for Women’s Rights says 627 women participate in the elections among a total of 4,006 candidates, representing 8.6 percent of candidates. The female candidates include 303 independent candidates, 280 others on list system and 44 candidates who are part of political parties.

Egypt s health ministry has reaffirmed the necessity of compliance with all anti-coronavirus safety measures in anticipation of a rise in infections with the advent of autumn and temperature drops. Minister of Health Hala Zayed met late Wednesday with a number of the ministry s senior officials via video conference, to follow up on implementation of the ministry s plan to cope with the spread of the coronavirus, especially amid the onset of a second wave of the virus in many countries. Zayed ordered all isolation, diagnosis and triage hospitals be ready to deal with the anticipated increase in coronavirus cases. The minister called on health officials to ensure that all medical supplies, oxygen devices and ventilators are available, as well as ensuring the readiness of intensive care units, and applying updated treatment protocols and infection control standards. She stressed to officials that the delivery of all necessary medications to home isolation Covid-19 patients be maintained. Minister Zayed also urged all citizens to avoid gatherings and maintain social distancing in public places, as well as wearing protective face masks. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly warned of an anticipated spike in the rate of infections with the advent of autumn. Egypt has registered 105,883 coronavirus cases, including 6,155 deaths since the outbreak in mid-February, with relatively low daily numbers reported over the past three months. Madbouly, however, ordered stricter enforcement of regulations which stipulate obligatory face masks in public spaces and on various modes of transportation.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi arrived in Nicosia on Wednesday to participate in a trilateral summit with Cyprus and Greece. Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said the trilateral summit is meant to consolidate the special ties between the three countries and exchange viewpoints regarding challenges that face the East Mediterranean region. The 8th tripartite summit is held amid tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean region over Ankara s hunt for gas in the region in violation of the territorial waters of Greece and Cyprus, two close allies of Egypt. Last week, Turkey said it will restart operations of a survey ship that it withdrew in September, further straining possibility of talks. The summit also aims at following up on the progress made by the previous seven trilateral summits and following up on joint projects implemented under the tripartite mechanism, Rady added. The previous summits, held since 2014, have mainly focused on bolstering joint cooperation in gas exploration and committing to maintaining the security and stability of the region, especially energy corridors. They also tackled cooperation to curb illegal migration. The summits culminated in the signing of several memorandums of understanding in the fields of investments, customs cooperation, education and small enterprises. Joint agreements were signed in tourism, maritime transport and fish farming. The tripartite summits led to the formation of the East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF) in January 2019, establishing a vital platform that brings together gas producers, consumers and transit states to boost a sustainable regional market for gas. The forum’s members are Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Italy, and Jordan. The signing of the EMGF’s charter between the energy ministers of the six countries last month came amid angry response from Turkey over Egypt and Greece signing a maritime demarcation deal in August establishing an exclusive economic zone between the two countries.

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi is attending the graduation ceremony of students from military colleges and institutes at the Military Academy in Cairo. Graduates from the Military Academy, the Air Force Academy, the Naval Academy, the Military Technical College, the Air Defence Academy, and the Technical Institute for Military Forces are taking part in the event. Minister of Defence Mohamed Zaki, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, former interim-president Adly Mansour, heads of main branches of the armed forces, as well as a number of ministers and state officials are attending the ceremony. During the ceremony, students of the military academies presented tactical drills to showcase their fighting skills. They also stood in a formation in the shape of the number 47, to mark the 47th anniversary of Egypt s victory against Israel in the 6 October war.

Egypt’s National Election Authority (NEA) has set 140 polling stations in the country’s embassies and consulates in 124 countries for voting by Egyptian expats in the parliamentary elections’s first phase slated for this week. Voters abroad will be able to print their ballot papers for the elections’ first phase on Monday and Tuesday by entering their registration code on the authority’s website. They will be allowed to vote on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, where they will select several candidates from the individual list system depending on their electoral district’s seats, and one for selecting from the closed list system. Both ballot papers must be placed in envelopes with a voter declaration, photocopies of the voter’s national ID card or passport, and residency documents, and sent via express mail to the electoral committee of their country’s diplomatic mission. The first stage of the elections will cover 14 governorates between 21 October and 30 November. These include Giza, Fayoum, Beni Suef, Minya, Assiut, New Valley, Sohag, Qena, Luxor, Aswan, the Red Sea, Alexandria, Beheira, and Marsa Matruh. A domestic vote will be held next Saturday and Sunday, with the results announced at the latest on 1 November. The first stage of elections’ run-offs will be held on 21-23 November for Egyptians abroad, and 23-24 November domestically with a final result at the latest on 30 November. A total of 568 seats are up for grabs in Egypt s upcoming parliamentary elections, while another 28 seats (5 per cent) will be named by the president, bringing the House s seats to a total of 596.

Following its election in August and September, Egypt s Senate will get down to business on Sunday by holding an opening procedural meeting. The meeting will be headed by Galal Haridi, a co-founder of the Guardians of the Nation Party, in his capacity as the Senate s most senior member. Two young members will also join Haridi in running the opening meeting. Haridi, 91, is a retired army officer who is widely considered as the founder of the Egyptian commandoes in 1955. He cofounded the Guardians of the Nation Party in 2013. The Senate s opening meeting will begin with reading out a number of decrees related to the formation of the second chamber. These will include president Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi s two decrees on the Senate holding its opening meeting on 18 October and the naming of 100 appointees. The decrees issued by the National Elections Authority (NEA) on the invitation to and the results of the election of the Senate in August and September will be also read out. The above procedures will be followed by each of the chamber s 300 members taking the constitutional oath: "I swear by Almighty God that I do my best to preserve the republican system, respect the constitution and laws, fully observe the interests of the people, and preserve the independence, unity and integrity of the homeland." Members will then move to the next step, that is electing a speaker and two deputies in a secret ballot in line with article 4 of the Senate s law (141/2020). All members have the right to run for the three posts. Each hopeful candidate should take the floor and deliver a brief statement about his political background and experience and why he/she wishes to win the post. The Senate s opening meeting will be held at the headquarters of the Shura Council which was dissolved in 2013. Informed sources said the Mostaqbal Watan party, which holds the majority of seats in the Senate, is expected to nominate its head Abdel-Wahab Abdel-Razek, a former chairman of the Supreme Constitutional Court, as the speaker of the Senate. Mahmoud Ismail Othman, the Senate s acting secretary-general, told reporters that once a speaker and two deputies are elected, a committee will be formed to draft the chamber s internal bylaws. "But right now, the internal bylaws of the House of the Representatives (law 1/2016) will be used to regulate the performance of the Senate," said Othman, adding that "it is the internal bylaws which will determine how many committees will be affiliated with the Senate." Once elected, the Senate s Speaker address the chamber, then will give the floor to Alaa Fouad, minister of state for parliamentary affairs, to congratulate members and express the government s intent to fully cooperate with the Senate in legislative and supervisory terms. Leading members representing political parties and independents are also expected to take the floor to deliver statements on the roles of the Senate. Informed sources said once the procedural session is finished, the Senate will adjourn until a new House of Representatives is elected at the end of December. Othman also indicated that all anti-coronavirus protection measures such sanitizing the chamber will be taken. Othman revealed that the Senate s secretariat-general will have 523 staff members who will be in charge of running the daily affairs of the chamber. According to Egypt s amended constitution in 2019, a 300-seat Senate shall be elected, with 100 members to be elected via the individual candidacy system; another 100 through party lists; and the remaining 100 to be appointed by the president of the republic. The Senate s law states that the chamber s main job is purely advisory – that is proposing and studying all that can reinforce democracy, social peace, human rights and public freedoms. The Senate should be consulted on proposed amendments to the constitution, the state s five-year development plans, alliance and peace treaties and laws which form an integral part of the constitution. Statistics on the Senate s election show that the pro-government Mostaqbal Watan party got the majority, with 147 seats (74 per cent). Independents come next with 85 seats. The People s Republican party got 19 seats, followed by Al-Wafd (11 seats); the Guardians of the Nation (10 seats); the leftist El-Tagammu (4 seats) and Modern Egypt (4 seats). Three political parties - the Egyptian Socialist Democratic Party, the Reform and Development Party, and the National Movement Party – got each three seats. The Salafist party of El-Nour got two seats. Five political parties – the Egyptian Freedom, Justice, the Republican, the Will of the Nation and Democratic Sadat – got each one seat. Statistics also show that the Senate comprises 40 women (20 by election and 20 by appointment) (13.3 per cent), six members representing professional syndicates and trade unions, two judges, two cinema actors, nine media people, 14 young people, 16 public figures, and twelve chairmen of political parties.

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi reaffirmed on Wednesday the Egyptian constants regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), especially with regard to the resumption of tripartite negotiations to reach a binding and comprehensive legal agreement between all concerned parties regarding the rules for filling and operating the dam. El-Sisi s remarks came during a phone call he received from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, the current chair of the African Union (AU), according to a statement by the Egyptian Presidency. Egypt s Presidential Spokesperson Bassam Rady said that the phone call dealt with the developments of the hydropower project, in light of the current mediation of the AU to the tripartite negotiations between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia. The last round of AU-brokered trilateral talks on the near-complete mega-dam concluded in August without reaching an integrated draft agreement on the operation and filling of the dam Addis Ababa is building on the Blue Nile. During that last round of talks, the three countries technical and legal committees were scheduled to come up with a unified draft of their three proposals for an agreement to be submitted to Ramaphosa. They failed to reach a consensus, however, and agreed instead to send individual letters to Ramaphosa expressing their visions for the next stage of talks. El-Sisi, during the call, expressed Egypt s rejection of any action or procedure that violates Egypt s rights in the Nile waters, the statement noted. Ramaphosa, from his side, voiced his aspiration for the continuation of intensive coordination between the two countries during the coming period so as to work on resolving the current situation, and to reach a fair and balanced agreement on such a vital issue. The GERD, built 15 kilometres from the Ethiopian border with Sudan, has been a source of contention between the three countries since construction began in 2011. The first filling of the controversial dam took place this summer, despite not having reached an agreement with its downstream neighbours. Throughout the few previous rounds of talks, Addis Ababa had proposed a package of non-binding guidelines for the filling and operation of the mega-dam while the downstream countries Egypt and Sudan are seeking a legally binding deal on the filling and operation of the dam. Addressing the 75th Session of the UN General Assembly on 23 September, El-Sisi stressed that the GERD negotiation period "should not be extended indefinitely" in order to impose a status quo. The tripartite negotiations on GERD reached deadlock last year as did talks sponsored by the US and the World Bank in February. Cairo fears the massive hydropower project will significantly cut its crucial water supplies from the River Nile, while Sudan fears it could endanger the safety of its own dams. Ethiopia says the 6,000-megawatt dam is key to its development and hopes to become Africa’s biggest electricity exporter. The two leaders also discussed bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on various regional issues related to the AU, Rady said.

Maintaining the current situation on the ground in Libya, as per the declared lines, is the main goal in pursuit of a comprehensive solution to restore stability in the oil-rich country, Egypt s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi told the Jordanian foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, during a meeting in Cairo on Tuesday. El-Sisi said the desired solution should be based on the outcomes of the Berlin conference and the Cairo Declaration, an Egyptian peace initiative announced in June that proposed a ceasefire and the election of a leadership council. Libya, which has been divided between two rival administrations for six years, is currently witnessing a truce agreement between the warring parties after they declared a ceasefire. The declaration ended fears about possible aggression against the port city of Sirte, 370 kilometres east of the capital Tripoli and Jufra, which has a major military airbase. According to a statement released by the presidential spokesman Bassam Rady following the meeting, El-Sisi stressed the joint coordination, willpower, and unity of Arab stances would impose the outlines of the Arab national security. Egypt has been pushing for a political settlement in Libya and calling for a ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of militias, and a halt to foreign intervention in the country, as well as a fair distribution of wealth. In July, El-Sisi said Egypt “will not stand idle” in the face of any attack on Libya’s Sirte, which he earlier described as a “red line” for Egypt’s national security. During Tuesday s meeting, the two officials also assured the importance of intensifying the international efforts to settle the Palestinian crisis, drawing on international legitimacy decisions, Rady pointed out. The meeting, which was attended by the Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, also dealt with bilateral relations between Egypt and Jordan, according to the statement. El-Sisi expressed hope for continuing coordination between the two countries at all levels amid the increased challenges the region is facing. Safadi expressed his country s keenness to continue coordination with Cairo at all levels in light of Egypt s role in the region, which he described as "significant and pivotal." The Jordanian minister arrived in Cairo earlier today to discuss several bilateral issues with a number of Egyptian officials, and to attend a trilateral meeting with his Egyptian and Iraqi counterparts to discuss topics of mutual concern.

In a meeting on Monday with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Iraqi FM Fouad Hussein said that Egypt plays a “major role” in Baghdad’s foreign relations. Hussein, who arrived in the Egyptian capital a day earlier, met with a number of Egyptian officials including the Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi earlier on Monday. Hussein and the Egyptian officials discussed a number of issued including electricity and gas-related projects, as well as the latest developments in the region, particularly the Palestinian cause and the situations in Syria and Libya. "We understand the challenges – [which we share] – and we are totally ready to cooperate to face these challenges," Shoukry added. Shoukry added that they also discussed challenges caused by terrorist groups as well as the negative impact of the interference of some countries in the Arab world. He also hailed the sacrifices made by the people of Iraq in its efforts to eliminate the Islamic State terrorist group, adding that these efforts have benefited the region as a whole. Shoukry said that an Egyptian ministerial delegation, which will include the minister of planning, will visit Iraq by the end of October. The Iraqi and Egyptian FMs discussed enhancing cooperation in the energy sector as well as commercial, security, military, cultural and educational relations. The talks also tackled a number of regional and international political issues, and Hussein affirmed that Iraq will continue to coordinate foreign policy issues with Egypt. Hussein said that by the end of October Iraq will receive Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly to activate MOUs signed earlier between the two countries. The meeting between Shoukry and Hussein comes less than two months after El-Sisi met with Jordan s King Abdullah II and Iraq s Prime Minister Mostafa Al-Kadhimi in Amman, where El-Sisi had expressed Egypt s willingness to establish joint development projects with Iraq and Jordan within a strict timeframe. The summit, which was held in Amman on 25 August, addressed enhancing cooperation in all fields, especially in energy, power linkages, infrastructure, and food.

Egypt s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi will give a speech on Monday at the 67th session of the World Health Organisation Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean, which is set to discuss key health issues, with the coronavirus pandemic at the top of the agenda, said the WHO in a statement. The session will be held virtually on 12–13 October due to the pandemic. WHO s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Ahmed Al-Mandhari will address the opening session. Health ministers and high-level representatives, from 22 countries of the Eastern Mediterranean region, will participate virtually in the session to discuss health issues, WHO said, adding that the session will also gather partner organisations and civil society groups. Ministers and representatives will review the coronavirus pandemic s evolution and current status in the region, including the response to the novel virus, the statement added. They will also review the direct impact of the pandemic on morbidity, mortality and essential health services.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has urged on Sunday awareness of "conspiracies that aim to undermine the country’s stability." In a televised talk during the Armed Forces 32nd cultural symposium, El-Sisi stressed the necessity of preserving the state, especially amid challenges and “new types of war”.

Egypt s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi received on Wednesday the Arab Development Action Shield award for the year 2020, a statement by the presidency said. President El-Sisi was handed the award by the Arab League (AL) Secretary-General Ahmed Abu El-Gheit during Wednesday s meeting, which was attended by Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, and Arab League Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki. The Arab Development Action Shield is an award that is given annually by the AL to Arab figures that led the development process in their countries. Abu El-Gheit hailed the comprehensive development approach led by El-Sisi in Egypt, which formed a model to be emulated throughout the rest of the Arab world, the statement said. According to Egypt s Presidential Spokesperson Bassam Rady, El-Sisi expressed his gratitude to the AL for this great honour. El-Sisi said, according to the statement, that this shield is dedicated to all Egyptians who have contributed, with their awareness and patriotism, to the success of the economic reform and the process of comprehensive development that is being carried out with Egyptian efforts and resources. The president also affirmed Egypt s support for the efforts of the AL to enhance cooperation between Arab countries, and its concerted efforts to support the development process in the Arab world in a way that meets the aspirations of their peoples and strengthens the spirit of joint solidarity.

Egypt s Transport Minister Kamel El-Wazir discussed with a delegation from Germany s Siemens progress in the project to modernise Egypt’s railway signalling system along the Banha-Port Said line. The project, implemented under an agreement signed between the Egyptian National Railways and the German technology giant in December 2015, aims at raising the safety level along the railway line passing through Benha, Zagazig, Ismailia, and Port Said, and the line connecting Zagazig and Abu Kebir. The upgrade plan is based on the installation of 21 main towers and 19 secondary towers. The German delegation told El-Wazir that Sharqia s Abu-Hamad station tower is expected to be operational before the end of October, while Benha s Sheblengah station is set to go into service by 2020. Siemens representatives said the rest of the towers are scheduled to be operational successively as per the underway electronic link system, according to a statement issued by the ministry following the meeting. El-Wazir underscored the necessity of intensifying work on this project, given its significance in increasing the safety a of trains, the statement added. The minister noted the project aims to renew the signalling system and set up a modern electronic system instead of the current mechanical interlockings system to increase safety, reduce the duration of trips, and increase the number of daily passengers and cargo trains. El-Wazir also said the upgrade targets maximising freight transport from Port Said. The statement added that the ministry is working on current and future ventures to modernise the signalling systems over 1,800km, and with a total cost of EGP 46.8 billion. Siemens has been operating in Egypt since 1859 with its technologies having been implemented in different areas across the country.