Morsi concludes Sudan visit with promise of economic integration

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi held meetings with officials and opposition leaders in Sudan Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi concluded his two-day visit to Sudan on Friday with the promise of improved economic cooperation between the two countries. Morsi, who had held talks with his Sudanese counterpart President Omar al-Bashir, and met with the leaders of the Sudanese opposition parties, departed for Cairo on Friday afternoon.
In a joint press conference at Khartoum International Airport, Bashir thanked Morsi for his historic first visit to Sudan, adding that ties between Egypt and Sudan are "eternal and continuous."
The Sudanese president explained that the two leaders had agreed to implement the directives to open the road of eastern Nile, and work towards opening the western and the coastal roads. He confirmed that there had also been discussion about developing a railway link between the two countries to connect Cairo to Khartoum.
"We're in talks with the Nile Basin countries to resolve the problem of Nile water," Bashir claimed, before explaining that a committee of international experts between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia would look at the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam to make sure it doesn't have any negative impacts in the region.
Egyptian President Morsi said he appreciated the hospitality of the Sudanese people, and described his visit as "an opportunity to develop relations between the two countries."
Egyptian and Sudanese ministers agreed to increase cooperation across various sectors, including agriculture, animal care, human resources, and the economy.
Morsi promised to intensify efforts to double investments in agriculture and industry, where the two governments agreed to establish a joint industrial zone, and make the most of energy resources.
The Egyptian president also reiterated his support for peace in Darfur, improving relations between Khartoum and Juba, and the reconstruction of eastern Sudan.
Morsi explained that arrangements were in place for the re-opening of the road of eastern Nile, and added that the eventual opening of western and coastal roads, and then the border crossings would lead to complete integration between the two countries, for the benefit of people in Egypt and Sudan.
Earlier, during separate meetings with the Vice-President of Sudan, Ali Osman Taha, the Secretary-General of the Islamic Movement in Sudan, Zubair Ahmed Hassan, and the leader of Sudan's People's Congress Party, Hassan al-Turabi, Morsi affirmed his commitment to helping Sudan's development.
Morsi and Taha discussed strategic issues between the two countries, in particular the issue of food security, the cooperation at the level of the African continent, and how to create economic and political unity between Sudan, Egypt and Libya.
In his meeting with the Secretary-General of the Islamic Movement Zubair Ahmed Hassan, the Egyptian president discussed the issues of training and rehabilitating young people, and urged Hassan to create programmes to counter the alienation being preached by the Western media against Arab culture.
Morsi's meeting with controversial opposition leader Turabi was closely scrutinised by the media in Sudan. Following the meeting, Turabi said he would visit Cairo in the near future to resume talks with President Morsi.
The Islamic leader denied reports that Morsi had presented him with an initiative to unite the Islamists in Sudan, and explained that his main suggestion to the Egyptian president was to develop relations with Sudanese people at the forefront of Sudanese society, as opposed to relations with governments which come and go.
During his two-day trip, Morsi also met the Egyptian community in Sudan, and told them to ignore media reports about Egypt's dire political and economic situation, assuring them that the country is building towards a bright future.