Stockholm: Egypt's Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Hani Sewilam, met with South Africa's Minister of Water and Sanitation, Bheki Magudina, on the sidelines of World Water Week. The meeting, held on Thursday, focused on strengthening cooperation between the two nations in water management and resource development.According to State Information Service Egypt, Sewilam congratulated South Africa and the African Union Commission on the successful organization of the recent 'Africa Investment Program Summit' held in Johannesburg. He highlighted how the summit reinforced Africa's collective stance on water financing. Sewilam also expressed his support for the 'Cape Town Declaration,' which serves as a strategic blueprint aimed at mobilizing water investments and addressing Africa's $30 billion annual financing gap.Discussions between the ministers also revolved around the next steps for implementing the Cape Town Declaration's commitments at major international forums. These include the Africa Invest ment Summit, the African Climate Summit, the G20 Leaders' Summit, and the African Union Summit. Sewilam emphasized Egypt's dedication to working closely with South Africa in preparation for the 2026 UN Water Conference to ensure that Africa presents a cohesive vision on water challenges and financing.The meeting also provided an opportunity for the ministers to review the progress of the memorandum of understanding signed in April 2024 concerning water resources management. They discussed the advancements made by the joint working group that was established to oversee the MoU's execution. Sewilam reiterated Egypt's eagerness to enhance bilateral cooperation with South Africa under the MoU, focusing particularly on areas related to water resource development and management.