Diplo + Foreign Trade on 25 October 2020
Topping diplomatic coverage this morning: US President Donald Trump’s suggestion that Egypt may resort to “blowing up” the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. We have more in this morning’s Speed Round, above.
Ceasefire in Libya: Libya’s rival governments signed a “historic” formal ceasefire agreement during UN-led talks in Geneva on Friday. The Turkey-backed government in Tripoli and Egypt-supported Libyan National Army in the country’s east both agreed to halt fighting, raising hopes that the conflict, which earlier this year threatened to escalate into a wider regional conflagration, may be drawing to a close. Egypt’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the truce in a statement, saying it was the fruit of the Egypt-sponsored talks held in Hurghada in September.
On the trade front: The Trade Ministry discussed the Russian Industrial Zone with representatives from the Russian Trade Ministry and a delegation of Russian companies ahead of a meeting of the Egyptian-Russian trade committee in Moscow in November, the cabinet said in a statement. The discussions also addressed ongoing trade negotiations between Egypt and the Eurasian Customs Union.