Taking advantage of the high international presence during the United Nations Climate Conference in Sharm El-Sheikh (COP27), Egypt is seeking more international support in its dispute with Ethiopia over the Renaissance Dam on the Nile River, calling for a “binding legal agreement that preserves its water security.”
Ethiopia is in conflict with Egypt and Sudan over the dam it has been building since 2011. Cairo says the project threatens its “rights” in the waters of the Nile River, calling for a binding legal agreement that regulates the rules of filling and operating the dam.
During a meeting with the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, and her accompanying delegation, on the sidelines of COP 27, on Thursday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi explained the dispute with Ethiopia.
He stressed - according to the official spokesman - “the firm position on the necessity of reaching a binding legal agreement on filling and operating the dam, in order to achieve the interests of all parties and maintain Egypt’s water security.”
For his part, Sameh Shoukry, Egyptian Minister and President of COP27, met on Friday with members of the US delegation headed by Pelosi.
According to a statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, the meeting saw a lengthy discussion on water issues and the Renaissance Dam, as well as Egypt’s efforts to preserve its water resources.
Negotiations between the three countries, sponsored by the African Union, have been frozen since April 2021, after their failure to achieve a breakthrough. Consequently, Egypt submitted a protest letter to the UN Security Council, demanding pressure on Ethiopia through international partners.
On Friday, Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Swailem met with Hon Reece Whitby, Minister of Environment and Climate Action for Western Australia.
Swailem expressed Egypt’s desire to promote international cooperation in water and climate, pointing to Australia’s successful experiences in the field of desalination and treatment.
During the COP27 sessions in Sharm el-Sheikh, Ethiopia sought to promote the Renaissance Dam as a project to confront climate change.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed congratulated the Egyptian government and people for their successful hosting of the climate conference, expressing his gratitude to President Sisi for inviting him to participate in the summit, and for “the generous hospitality” he received.
In his official speech, Abiy Ahmed said that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam was expected to be “a vital source of energy for the country and the region.”
He noted that despite Ethiopia’s great renewable energy potential and great infrastructure for generation and transportation, access to electricity in the country was still below 50 percent.
Abi Ahmed stressed that his country was “working hard to diversify and expand its energy mix to include other renewable energy sources such as geothermal energy, wind and solar energy, with the aim of achieving comprehensive access by 2030 through on-grid and off-grid technologies.”
