https://arab.news/87nys
- 鈥楥ooperation is better,鈥� El-Sisi said in a message to Ethiopia, adding that Egypt鈥檚 concerns over the dam are justified, and that negotiations with Sudan over the dam are continuing
- El-Sisi: 鈥榃e value development on the condition that it does not affect the interests of Egypt鈥�
CAIRO: After delegations from Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia failed to reach an agreement during Tuesday鈥檚 talks in the Democratic Republic of Congo on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said on Wednesday that 鈥渁ll options are open if a drop of water belonging to Egypt is touched.鈥�
Both Egypt and Sudan blamed Ethiopia for the failure of the latest round of talks.
Ethiopia says the gravity dam 鈥� under construction since 2011 鈥� is vital for its economic progress and power generation, but Egypt fears its supply of water from the Nile 鈥� which currently provides about 97 percent of the country鈥檚 irrigation and drinking water 鈥� will be threatened, and Sudan has raised concerns about the dam鈥檚 safety and its effect on its own dams and water stations on the Nile.
鈥淐ooperation is better,鈥� El-Sisi said in a message to Ethiopia, adding that Egypt鈥檚 concerns over the dam are justified, and that negotiations with Sudan over the dam are continuing.
鈥淲e value development on the condition that it does not affect the interests of Egypt,鈥� El-Sisi said. 鈥淥ur stance has not changed. My words were 鈥� and still are: Respect for development in Ethiopia to improve conditions (for) its people, with the understanding that this matter (should) not affect the interests of Egypt.鈥�
Ethiopia鈥檚 foreign ministry said in a statement that it expected talks to resume around the third week of April at the invitation of the president of the African Union, but Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said Cairo has not yet received an invitation from the African Union. He said Cairo 鈥渙penly deals with the efforts of the African Union presidency.鈥�
Ethiopia鈥檚 Foreign Ministry said Tuesday鈥檚 meeting failed 鈥渄ue to Egypt and Sudan鈥檚 rigid stance鈥� and that Ethiopia 鈥渃annot enter into an agreement that would foreclose its current and future legitimate rights over the utilization of the Nile.鈥�
It went on to accuse Egypt and Sudan of 鈥渦ndermining鈥� the negotiation process, and to confirm that the filling of the dam for the second year in a row would begin 鈥渁ccording to schedule.鈥� Addis Ababa also rejected a proposal to bring in the EU, the US and the UN as mediators.
Shoukry said Ethiopia鈥檚 statement was 鈥渁 complete lie,鈥� adding that observers at the negotiations would back up Egypt鈥檚 version of events. He said Sudan was willing to resume negotiations without condition, but that that had not happened 鈥渄ue to Ethiopia鈥檚 continuous refusal and attempts to circumvent every proposal.鈥�
鈥淎fter 10 years of negotiations that did not yield any results, the Ethiopian goal is to elude,鈥� Shoukry said. 鈥淟ast year, we witnessed the unilateral filling of the dam by Ethiopia and it intends to do that again as it tries to impose its will on the two downstream countries with indifference to the damage inflicted on millions of citizens.鈥�
Shoukry added: 鈥淲e will work with our partners, the international organizations, and highlight the associated risks, and we will call on the international community to assume its responsibility to maintain peace and security at regional and international levels.
鈥淓gypt and Sudan have the right to take measures to defend their water rights,鈥� he concluded.