Egypt Rejects Any Measure that Violates its Nile Water Rights

Egypt’s Sisi and Chairperson of the African Union Commission hold talks in Cairo. (Egyptian presidential spokesman)
Egypt’s Sisi and Chairperson of the African Union Commission hold talks in Cairo. (Egyptian presidential spokesman)
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Egypt Rejects Any Measure that Violates its Nile Water Rights

Egypt’s Sisi and Chairperson of the African Union Commission hold talks in Cairo. (Egyptian presidential spokesman)
Egypt’s Sisi and Chairperson of the African Union Commission hold talks in Cairo. (Egyptian presidential spokesman)

Egyptian President has stressed his country’s commitment to reaching comprehensive, binding and legal agreement on regulating the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. (GERD)

During a meeting with Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission Moussa Faki in Cairo, he reiterated his rejection of any measure or action that would violate Egypt’s rights to Nile waters.

Sisi received Faki on Sunday days before a scheduled AU summit.

Faki, for his part, praised Egypt’s efforts, stressing the importance of continuing intense coordination to resolve the dam dispute and reaching a fair and balanced agreement.

According to presidential spokesperson Bassam Rady, the officials discussed several political developments and various conflicts in Africa, including the situation in the Horn of Africa and Libya.

Sisi said Cairo “has not (and will not) spare any effort to support its African brothers and will always seek cooperation, construction and development for the sake of all African countries.”

Development in Africa begins first with promoting stability and establishing an integrated infrastructure that forms a base, which allows linking African countries together, thus promoting the desired goal of economic and regional integration, a presidency statement read.

It quoted Faki as highlighting Cairo’s role and influence under Sisi in the continent, saying the AU Looks up to it as a “strong pillar of joint African action.”

He expressed confidence that Egypt “will continue to promote development efforts in Africa and maintain security and political stability in the continent.”

For nearly a decade, the AU-sponsored talks between Cairo, Addis Ababa and Khartoum over the operation and filling of the mega-dam Ethiopia is building on the Blue Nile have faltered.

Egypt and Sudan fear the dam will affect their shares of the Nile waters and stress the need to reach a binding agreement that guarantees the rights and interests of the three countries, and includes a mechanism for settling disputes. Ethiopia, however, rejects “restricting its rights to use its water resources.”

The 38th two-day ordinary session of the AU’s Executive Council at the ministerial level is scheduled to be held via videoconference on Feb. 3. The 34th two-day ordinary session of the AU’s Assembly of the Heads of State and Government is scheduled for Feb. 6.



UK Foreign Secretary Visits Syria, Renewing Ties After 14 Years of Conflict

A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) welcoming with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy in the Syrian capital Damascus on July 5, 2025. (SANA / AFP)
A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) welcoming with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy in the Syrian capital Damascus on July 5, 2025. (SANA / AFP)
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UK Foreign Secretary Visits Syria, Renewing Ties After 14 Years of Conflict

A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) welcoming with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy in the Syrian capital Damascus on July 5, 2025. (SANA / AFP)
A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) welcoming with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy in the Syrian capital Damascus on July 5, 2025. (SANA / AFP)

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy met in Damascus on Saturday with Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, marking the restoration of relations after 14 years of tension during Syria's conflict and Assad family rule.

Syria has been improving relations with Western countries following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad in December in an offensive led by al-Sharaa’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group.

Al-Sharaa’s office said Lammy and the president discussed mutual relations and ways of boosting cooperation and the latest regional and international developments. Lammy later met his Syrian counterpart, Asaad al-Shaibani, state media reported.

A statement issued by Britain's foreign office said the visit showed London's commitment to support Syria as the new government seeks to rebuild the country's economy, deliver an inclusive political transition and forge a path to justice for the victims of the Assad government.

It added that there will be new UK funding to assist with the removal of Assad-era chemical weapons and provide urgent humanitarian assistance in Syria, to bolster UK and Middle East security and tackle irregular migration. The statement said the British government wants to ensure that the ISIS group's territorial defeat “endures, and they can never resurge.”

ISIS once controlled large parts of Syria and Iraq, where it planned attacks worldwide. It was defeated in Syria in March 2019 when the extremists lost the last sliver of land they once controlled.

The statement said Britain's support for Syria is set to continue, with the additional 94.5 million pounds ($129 million) package announced Saturday. It will provide urgent humanitarian aid to Syrians, support Syria’s longer-term recovery through education and livelihoods, and support countries hosting Syrian refugees in the region.

This handout photo released by the Lebanese Presidency press office on July 5, 2025 shows Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun (R) receiving British Foreign Secretary David Lammy at the presidential palace in Baabda. (Lebanese Presidency / AFP)

In April, the British government lifted sanctions against a dozen Syrian entities, including government departments and media outlets, to help the country rebuild after Assad's ouster. Weeks earlier, the UK had dropped sanctions against two dozen Syrian businesses, mostly banks and oil companies.

Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order ending many American economic sanctions on Syria, following through on a promise he made to al-Sharaa.

Syria’s new leaders have been struggling to rebuild the country’s decimated economy and infrastructure after nearly 14 years of civil war that has killed half a million people. In recent months, al-Sharaa visited oil-rich regional countries and France in May in his first visit to the Europe Union.

Also on Saturday, Lammy met in Beirut with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and they discussed the situation along the Lebanon-Israel border following the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war.

A statement issued by Aoun's office, quoted the Lebanese leader as telling Lammy that Beirut plans to raise the number of Lebanese troops along the border with Israel to 10,000. Aoun added that the only armed sides on the Lebanese side of the border will be Lebanon's national army and UN peacekeepers.