CAIRO — Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi discussed with his Congolese counterpart Felix Tshisekedi the faltering negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) during Tshisekedi’s first visit to Cairo on Feb. 2, as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) prepares to take over the presidency of the African Union for 2021.

According to a statement by the Egyptian presidency following the meeting, the two officials “agreed to promote coordination and joint deliberations to follow up on the developments in the GERD file.”

In a joint press conference with Sisi, Tshisekedi said following their meeting on Feb. 2 that he would work toward reaching a solution for the GERD crisis during his country’s chairmanship of the AU. He expressed optimism that Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan would reach a solution to entrench peaceful coexistence between them.

Tshisekedi said he informed Sisi that he recently welcomed Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde and the Sudanese ministers of irrigation and foreign affairs in Kinshasa on separate occasions. He discussed water and the GERD with them and reiterated his full commitment to avoiding an escalation of tensions between the countries during his chairmanship of the AU.