Mahiga praises Egypt’s role in UN, says Tanzania aware of Nile importance

CAIRO - 10 January 2018: Tanzanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Augustine Mahiga thanked Egypt for its efforts and role during the two-year (2016-2017) membership of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the non-permanent seat.

He added in a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry in Cairo, Wednesday that the two countries relations lasted for about half a century. “We share more than just good relations and one continent. We have a good political environment and amazing social relations between both nations,” Mahiga said.

He also affirmed that Tanzania recognizes the great importance of the Nile River to Egyptians, “which is a thing the whole world should know.”

Mahiga noted that he and his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry are working on more than just mutual internal relations, but also on international relations. He stressed that they will support each other in organizations such as the African Union and United Nations.

“We are aware of the dangerousness of crimes like human and drug trafficking, which were among the issues we discussed today during our meeting. Egypt has been taking initiatives and we look forward to be good partners,” Mahiga concluded.

Egypt has signed three agreements with Tanzania in the fields of diplomacy, agriculture and tourism on Wednesday.

During his remarks, Shoukry said that both countries share historical and deep relations.

Tanzania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Augustine Mahiga, arrived in Cairo early Tuesday, accompanied by a high-level delegation.

The three-day visit to Cairo is expected to include several meetings and talks regarding the two countries’ relations, along with a number of national and international events.