GERD: Egypt Adheres to Negotiations, Ethiopia Once Again Proposes to Share Waters

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam as it appears in a satellite image taken on July 20, 2020 (AFP)
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam as it appears in a satellite image taken on July 20, 2020 (AFP)
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GERD: Egypt Adheres to Negotiations, Ethiopia Once Again Proposes to Share Waters

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam as it appears in a satellite image taken on July 20, 2020 (AFP)
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam as it appears in a satellite image taken on July 20, 2020 (AFP)

Ethiopia has once again disputed Egypt’s hegemony over the Blue Nile waters.

It wants a recently formulated final agreement to include sharing the Nile waters, affirming that Egypt receives the biggest share.

Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedu Andargachew stressed that downstream countries reject Egypt’s hegemony over the use of the Nile waters.

“Ethiopia needs to build the mega-dam and must reflect the realism about the use of the Nile River,” his country’s official press agency quoted him as saying.

GERD is a slogan for all Ethiopians, he noted, expressing pride that his country is working to complete such a mega project with its own capabilities.

Addis Ababa could generate up to 30,000 megawatts of hydroelectric power from the Nile River, the FM stressed, adding that “this tremendous potential will enable the country to deliver electricity to all Ethiopians, expand industrial complexes, and create job opportunities, as well as improving services.”

Meanwhile, Egypt affirmed its adherence to the course of negotiations taking place among Addis Ababa, Cairo, and Khartoum on the rules for filling and operating the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

Spokesman of Egypt's Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources Mohamed al-Sibai said the African Union (AU)-sponsored talks are ongoing.

He pointed out that the three countries exchanged proposals for the final text of the agreement and chose both “legal and technical representatives from each country to participate in the merging of the three texts.”

Sibai noted that the unified final agreement is expected to be handed over to the AU Chief and South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, on Friday.

In a statement published on Monday, the spokesman refused to speak about the talks taking place.

Cairo fears the potential negative impact of GERD, which Addis Ababa is constructing on the Nile River, on the flow of its annual share of the Nile’s 55.5 billion cubic meters of water especially that it relies on it for more than 90 percent of its water supplies.

Addis Ababa, however, says the dam is not aimed at harming Egypt or Sudan’s interests, stressing that the main objective is to generate electricity to support its development.



Baku Seeking to Diffuse Tensions between Israel, Türkiye in Syria

Turkish troops return after a joint US-Türkiye patrol in northern Syria, as it is pictured from near the Turkish town of Akcakale, Türkiye, September 8, 2019. (Reuters)
Turkish troops return after a joint US-Türkiye patrol in northern Syria, as it is pictured from near the Turkish town of Akcakale, Türkiye, September 8, 2019. (Reuters)
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Baku Seeking to Diffuse Tensions between Israel, Türkiye in Syria

Turkish troops return after a joint US-Türkiye patrol in northern Syria, as it is pictured from near the Turkish town of Akcakale, Türkiye, September 8, 2019. (Reuters)
Turkish troops return after a joint US-Türkiye patrol in northern Syria, as it is pictured from near the Turkish town of Akcakale, Türkiye, September 8, 2019. (Reuters)

With growing influence after its recapture of Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenian separatists in 2023, Azerbaijan is using its close ties with Israel and Türkiye to defuse tensions between the regional foes in Syria.

Azerbaijan’s top foreign policy adviser Hikmet Hajiyev told AFP that Baku has hosted more than three rounds of talks between Türkiye and Israel, who are both operating in Syria to reduce what they see as security threats.

“Azerbaijan is making diplomatic efforts for an agreement,” Hajiyev told Turkish journalists in Baku on a visit organized by the Istanbul-based Global Journalism Council. “Both Türkiye and Israel trust us.”

The overthrow of Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad sparked security concerns in Israel.

It has since staged hundreds of strikes deep inside Syria, the latest on Friday, to allegedly stop advanced weapons falling into the hands of Syria’s extremists and to protect the Druze minority.

Israel has accused Ankara of seeking to turn Syria into a Turkish protectorate, raising fears of a confrontation.

In Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev is considered a close ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He has consistently aligned himself with Ankara’s positions on key international matters, including the Syrian issue.

Azerbaijan also enjoys good relations with Israel, which is very reliant on Azerbaijani oil, and is a major arms supplier to Baku.

And now Baku, which has established contacts with Syria’s new rulers, is pushing quiet diplomacy by facilitating technical talks between Türkiye and Israel.

“We are successful if the two parties agree on a common model that respects each other’s concerns,” Farid Shafiyev, chairman of the Baku-based Center for Analysis of International Relations, told AFP.

“Syria, and especially its northern territories, is the Turkish security concern,” he said.

Türkiye wants to control northern Syria but also to “have a stronger presence” around the Palmyra and T4 airbases to ensure security around Damascus, he added.

In facilitating Türkiye-Israel dialogue on Syria, Azerbaijan is playing a “strategic role,” said Zaur Mammadov, chairman of Baku Political Scientists Club.

“(It) reflects Azerbaijan’s growing influence as a mediator... among regional actors,” he said.

Azerbaijan fought two wars with arch-foe Armenia for control of the disputed Karabakh region -- one in the 1990s and another in 2020 -- before it managed to seize the entire area in a 24-hour offensive in September 2023.