Egypt, Senegal hold talks to strengthen strategic partnership

CAIRO - 10 February 2026: Egypt and Senegal held high-level talks on Tuesday aimed at strengthening bilateral relations, enhancing political coordination, and supporting development and security efforts across Africa, particularly as preparations continue for the upcoming African Union summit scheduled for early next week.

Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration, and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty received Senegalese Minister of African Integration, Foreign Affairs, and Senegalese Abroad Sheikh Niang to discuss ways to advance cooperation and align positions on regional and international issues of mutual concern.

The Egyptian foreign minister highlighted the growing momentum in relations between Cairo and Dakar, stressing the shared commitment to elevating cooperation to broader strategic horizons. Egypt views Senegal as a key strategic partner in West Africa, reflecting the depth of political understanding between the two countries. Abdelatty also welcomed Senegal’s leadership of the Economic Community of West African States Commission and its joint presidency with the United Arab Emirates of the 2026 United Nations Water Conference.

Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt’s support for the implementation of Senegal’s five-year development plan and Vision 2050, emphasizing Cairo’s readiness to share its expertise in building new cities, developing infrastructure, expanding irrigation networks, and reclaiming agricultural land. He also expressed Egypt’s willingness to transfer expertise in agricultural manufacturing, livestock and fisheries development, and the cultivation of strategic crops.

The talks addressed opportunities for Egyptian pharmaceutical products to enter the Senegalese market, alongside the growing role of Egyptian private sector companies in implementing priority projects in Senegal. These efforts were reinforced during Abdelatty’s visit to Dakar in July 2025, which included a delegation of Egyptian investors and private sector representatives.

In the field of education, the Egyptian foreign minister pointed to ongoing efforts to establish French-language university programs to attract Senegalese students, highlighting the competitive advantages of Egypt’s higher education sector. He also noted the upcoming inauguration of Senghor University in Alexandria, describing it as a significant addition to academic cooperation with Francophone African countries and a platform for training qualified African cadres in development, administration, and capacity building.

Abdelatty underscored the role of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif in promoting Arabic language education and spreading moderate Islamic values, while countering extremist ideologies. He also highlighted capacity-building programs offered by the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development and the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping, and Peacebuilding.

On regional and international developments, the Egyptian foreign minister reiterated Egypt’s full support for efforts to combat terrorism in West Africa and the Sahel. He stressed the importance of adopting a comprehensive approach that integrates security and development dimensions to address the root causes of terrorism, while commending Senegal’s constructive role in mediating between the three Sahel countries and the ECOWAS bloc.

The discussions also covered developments in the Middle East and the Horn of Africa, with both sides emphasizing the need to continue supporting national institutions and safeguarding the unity, sovereignty, and independence of African states to preserve regional and international peace and security.

Both ministers agreed to build on the current momentum in bilateral relations by strengthening political coordination and exchanging support for candidacies to international positions. They also committed to aligning positions on regional and global issues in a manner that serves shared interests and promotes stability, peace, and sustainable development.

The talks took place against the backdrop of Egypt’s leading role in post-conflict reconstruction and development, its current chairmanship of the NEPAD Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee, its presidency of the African Union Peace and Security Council, and Senegal’s chairmanship of the African Ministers’ Council on Water.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Egypt and Senegal signed a memorandum of understanding between Egypt’s Foreign Ministry Diplomatic Studies Institute and Senegal’s National School of Administration, aimed at exchanging expertise and cooperating in the organization of joint training programs in areas of mutual interest.