Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Ati confirmed on Monday that Egypt will take all measures guaranteed under international law to protect its water security, emphasizing the rejection of unilateral actions that violate international law in the Eastern Nile Basin.
The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that “Minister Abdel Ati discussed Cairo’s concerns regarding the Nile River file and Egypt’s water security with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in Entebbe,” noting that “Cairo’s position is based on the necessity to adhere to international law rules concerning shared water resources.”
According to the statement, Abdel Ati stressed that “the Nile waters are an existential issue for Egypt,” expressing his hope to strengthen regional integration and cooperation among Nile Basin countries to reinforce bonds of brotherhood and support development among African brothers.
Addis Ababa is preparing to hold an official ceremony in September to mark the inauguration of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed earlier announced in July the completion of the dam’s construction by the end of the current summer.
Egypt, on its side, renewed its rejection of what it described as Ethiopia’s “unilateral approach” in managing the dam project, considering that “continuing to fill and operate the dam without a legally binding agreement with the downstream countries is a blatant violation of international law.”
Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilam previously stated that “Ethiopia’s behavior poses a direct threat to the water interests of Egypt and Sudan and ignores the fundamental principles related to the fair and equitable use of shared water resources.”
Source: Sputnik
