Egyptian Foreign minister Samih Shoukri Thursday started talks with the Sudanese officials in Khartoum amid a simmering diplomatic row between the two countries.
Mr Shokri arrived in the Sudanese capital on Wednesday after he postponed his visit last week.
Sudanese Foreign ministry spokesman Garib Allah Al-Khidir confirmed to the Africa Review that the meeting had started Thursday morning.
“The reduction of the tension between the two countries, the stoppage of the media war, the border disputes, among other outstanding issues are expected to top the agenda of the meeting,’’ he explained.
Political and diplomatic tensions between Sudan and Egypt have heightened in the recent past, with the two neighbours trading numerous accusations.
Sudan last week issued a directive requiring Egyptian nationals seeking to enter its territory to obtain a visa.
The Sudanese Foreign minister, Mr Ibrahim Ghandour, also recently accused Egypt of attempting to extend the international military sanctions against Sudan.
Mr Ghandour, at a press conference, claimed that the Egyptian representative to the UN Security Council called for the extension of the sanctions imposed on Sudan by Resolution 1591 since 2006.
However, the Egyptian Foreign ministry denied the Sudanese accusations.
A media war has raged between Cairo and Khartoum over several issues, especially after the visit of the Qatari First Lady Mozza Bint Nasser, to Sudan last month
The First Lady’s remarks about the age of the Sudanese pyramids, in particular, angered the Egyptians.
The Egyptian media has also criticised the visit of the Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir to Ethiopian last week, considering it as a provocation to Cairo.
Egypt and Ethiopia were in disputes over the construction of the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
Source – BBC
