OnePress
The Presidency of the Egyptian Republic announced the text of the Joint Declaration of the Two Flags issued on Sunday by the Quadrilateral Consultative Summit between Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia on October 4, 2019, as follows:
1. At the invitation of H.E. Mr. Abdel Fattah El Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, to H.E. Mr. Isaias Afwerki, President of the State of Eritrea, and H.E. Mr. Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud, President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, and Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah El Burhan, Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council of the Republic of the Sudan; The Presidents met at a four-way summit on October 4, 2019 in New Alamein, during which they held intensive fraternal consultations on current regional and international issues and ways to enhance political, trade and economic cooperation among the four countries, and enhance consultation and coordination among them.
2. The summit dealt with the need to adhere to the basic principles and pillars of international law as the basis for regional stability and cooperation, especially respect for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the countries of the region, upholding the values of good neighborliness, rejecting interference in the internal affairs of the countries of the region under any pretext, and working to support national institutions and promote political and peaceful solutions to conflicts.
3. They discussed the coordination of joint efforts to achieve regional stability, create a climate conducive to joint and sustainable development and promote economic, trade and cultural relations, thus helping to achieve integration, economic interdependence and sustainable development, and strengthen ties between the peoples of all participating countries, taking into account the unity of objectives and common destiny.
4. The Summit addressed and converged the views of the participating leaders on the following issues:
(a) To support the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of the Sudan and its national institutions, to reject the establishment of any parallel entities, to encourage the resumption of the political process with Sudanese ownership and leadership, and to support national institutions, in addition to the complete rejection of any support for mercenaries;
(b) To support the unity and sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Somalia and to reject any interference or measures aimed at its territorial integrity and national sovereignty, as well as any recognition or support for the so-called "Somaliland" as a violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia;
Support the efforts of the Federal Republic of Somalia in the fight against terrorism, enable state institutions to extend their control over all of its territory, and call on regional and international partners to provide adequate, predictable and sustainable funding to the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), which will support the security transition in Somalia and enable the Mission to implement its mandate in support of the orderly transfer of security responsibilities to Somali forces.
(d) Emphasizing the principle of freedom of navigation and that the governance of the Red Sea is the exclusive responsibility of the littoral States;
Emphasize the importance of respect for international law in transboundary rivers, including the Nile River, especially the principle of non-harm, and the necessity of cooperation through prior notification, consultation and consensus, and the complete rejection of any unilateral measures that harm the existing water uses of the two Nile River estuaries.
(g) Continue to further strengthen consultation and coordination among the four countries and other brotherly African countries.
The leaders agreed to establish a mechanism to follow up the outcomes of this consultative summit, which will be held periodically and whenever necessary to enhance consultation and coordination among them.
6. The Presidents of Eritrea, Somalia and the Sudan expressed their sincere thanks and appreciation for hosting this consultative summit.