President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has highlighted Egypt’s unwavering stance in seeking a legally binding agreement on the huge dam that Ethiopia is building on the Nile River.
He said that the deal should meet the interests of all parties and protect the historic water rights of the two downstream countries – Egypt and Sudan.
Sisi made his stance during a phone conversation with Tunisian President Kais Saied who affirmed full support to everything that would preserve Egypt’s water security.
The phone call between them came as the United Nations Security Council met to discuss the dispute on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
Ethiopia’s prime minister on Friday sought to reassure Egypt and Sudan that the filling of his country’s massive new dam “will not inflict any significant harm” on the two nations.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed explained in a tweet that “the Renaissance Dam can be a source of collaboration for our three countries and beyond”.
Thursday’s Council meeting was organized at the request of Tunisia on behalf of Cairo and Khartoum.
The Egyptian president thanked Tunisia to trying to break the stalemate and supporting the Egyptian stance with the aim of reaching a binding agreement on the rules of filling and operation of the dam.
According to Sisi, Cairo and Sudan only resorted to the Security Council as a result of the Ethiopian “intransigence.”
