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Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Cairo: We Still Believe In Renaissance Dam Negotiations

Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Egypt Markos Tekle (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Egypt Markos Tekle (Asharq Al-Awsat)
    Cairo - Mohammed Nabil Helmi, Marwa Sabri
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Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Cairo: We Still Believe In Renaissance Dam Negotiations

Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Egypt Markos Tekle (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Egypt Markos Tekle (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Ethiopia’s newly appointed Ambassador to Egypt Markos Tekle said it was too early to talk about the failure of the Renaissance Dam negotiations with Egypt.

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, the ambassador noted that his country still insists on the talks to resolve the disputes over the dam

“We still believe in the negotiation, and we adhere to our consistent position in this regard,” he said, adding that Ethiopia insisted to move on with the talks without a direct mediator.

“We assume that the African Union will continue to manage the negotiation sessions. But we prefer that the AU only manage the sessions, without assuming a mediating role,” he underlined.

Ethiopia estimates the cost of building the Renaissance Dam at about $4 billion and hopes to become the largest African exporter of electricity and meet the needs of 70 million of its citizens.

Egypt, for its part, warns that the filling of the dam would affect its annual share of 55.5 billion cubic meters, on which it relies to meet 90 percent of its water needs. Cairo has called for a “binding legal agreement regarding the rules of filling and operating the dam.

On his country’s insistence not to have any direct mediator in the talks, Tekle said: “Our position here is quite clear. We did not ask for the help of any mediator, and we still adhere to this position to this day. We believe that Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan can discuss the relevant issues and settle their differences.”

On whether there was a contradiction between his assertion that Ethiopia “negotiates in good faith” and the country’s announcement to start filling the dam before reaching an agreement with Egypt and Sudan, Tekle replied: “Yes, we have embarked on that, but we still hope to reach an agreement through negotiations.”

He explained: “Due to the outbreak of the coronavirus… and other developments, the negotiations did not proceed at the pace we had hoped for. Last summer, the rainy season was very abundant and the first phase of building the dam was completed, and therefore we did not find anything wrong with filling the dam.”

The Ethiopian ambassador admitted the presence of historical competition between his country and Egypt over the Nile Water, but he said: “We focus today on cooperation between the two countries, which together have many resources and areas of production.”

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UN Coordinator in Syria: Optimistic About Reconstruction if Transition Succeeds

UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria Adam Abdelmoula (Asharq Al-Awsat)
UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria Adam Abdelmoula (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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UN Coordinator in Syria: Optimistic About Reconstruction if Transition Succeeds

UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria Adam Abdelmoula (Asharq Al-Awsat)
UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria Adam Abdelmoula (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Since 2012, the United Nations Resident Coordinator's developmental role in Syria has been put on hold by the UN. However, the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad’s regime has revived this role.

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Adam Abdelmoula, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria, outlined plans for reconstruction in partnership with the new government in Damascus.

Abdelmoula expressed “great optimism” about Syria’s rebuilding but stressed that the key to rapid recovery is the “success of the transition.”

He explained that this means the transitional period—until a new constitution is agreed upon and an elected government is formed—must be secure and supported by consensus among all Syrians.

Additionally, momentum is building for Syria’s reconstruction, with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries proposing an international donor conference next spring to raise funds.

Abdelmoula said the UN is consulting with the new Syrian administration to prepare projects and cost estimates for the event.

The UN is preparing aid and technical support for Syria’s new administration, along with a development plan focusing on rebuilding infrastructure, restoring electricity, reviving health services, and supporting agriculture and irrigation to boost the economy.

“We’ve informed the new administration of our work through a letter sent to the foreign minister,” said Abdelmoula.

He told Asharq Al-Awsat that the UN’s “early recovery strategy,” launched last November, is still in place, though its fund has yet to be registered with the trust fund office in New York.

He promised to prioritize its registration and said: “When reconstruction begins in Syria, we will work to establish a dedicated reconstruction fund.”

As for relying on donors for rebuilding Syria, Abdelmoula said: “The UN doesn’t have the billions of dollars needed, but lessons from similar crises show the importance of focusing on strategic priorities, especially rebuilding the economic foundations.”

Abdelmoula noted that UN agencies can secure funding from donors who support development activities in various countries, a process that had been stalled in Syria for over a decade.

“Since the fall of the Syrian regime, many countries, particularly Arab and neighboring ones, have provided significant aid, and this is expected to increase,” he said.

“There are also positive signals from donors, especially Europeans, about boosting humanitarian aid, including continuing the annual Brussels Conference to support Syria,” added Abdelmoula.

He revealed that the mission has learned the European Union will resume hosting the conference this year, despite the fall of Assad’s regime.

The UN official addressed Syria’s sanctions, stating that those harming the Syrian people should be lifted.

He noted that the recent Riyadh meeting showed a strong intention from key international players to ease or fully lift the sanctions.

Abdelmoula pointed out the US decision to suspend some sanctions for six months and mentioned an upcoming EU foreign ministers' meeting to discuss either lifting or easing sanctions to support Syria’s economy, humanitarian aid, banking, and market access.

He explained that some sanctions are imposed by countries like the US, Germany, France, and the UK, which are discussing the best way forward. However, he said fully lifting sanctions may take time due to laws like the US Caesar Act.

Abdelmoula stressed that efforts should focus on reducing the impact of sanctions under the Caesar Act and working to pass new legislation to cancel it. He said this should also apply to sanctions from other countries in the form of laws.

He explained that lifting sanctions would make it easier for the UN and help both the Syrian government and people. A direct benefit would be Syria’s ability to access direct funding, concessional loans from international funds and the World Bank, and grants.

Abdelmoula explained that the UN’s humanitarian work in Syria focuses on helping people in need, regardless of which political group controls the area.

“Our efforts have included people in regions outside the former regime's control in northwestern and northeastern Syria,” he said.

As the UN Resident Coordinator, Abdelmoula represents the UN in the country.

“The government recognized until December 8 was Bashar al-Assad’s, which is why my credentials were sent to it, as is the usual practice,” he noted.

Abdelmoula also pointed out that the UN’s development work in Syria was halted since 2012 due to a UN decision.

“After the regime fell, we announced that we would resume our development work,” he affirmed.