Egypt’s FM Shoukry: Kinshasa’s GERD talks ‘last chance’ to reach binding agreement

CAIRO – 5 April 2021: Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said Egypt has been negotiating for a decade with a sincere political willing to reach a fair agreement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) issue.

He described Kinshasa’s talks as a ‘last chance’ to reach a binding agreement between the three countries regarding the filling and operation of Renaissance Dam.

In remarks, Sunday during his participation, along with Irrigation Minister Mohamed Abdel Ati, in meetings in the dam’s new round of negotiations in Congolese capital Kinshasa that the meetings aim at restarting stalled talks on the dam to reach a legally binding, balanced and fair agreement that can serve the interests of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia and cement cooperation and integration between the three countries and their peoples.

The minister asserted the meetings are the last chance for the three countries to conclude a deal on the filling of the dam.

The minister stressed that Egypt is keen on ensuring the success of the Tshisekedi- sponsored negotiations on the dam

In a message from President Abdel Fatah al Sisi to his Congolese counterpart Felix Tshisekedi delivered by Shoukry, Sisi assured that Egypt has a ‘sincere political intention’ to reach an agreement regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

He added that Egypt hopes to reach an agreement with Ethiopia before the next raining session in which is scheduled for Ethiopia’s next filling of the dam

Sisi also praised the great efforts exerted by Congo to launch negotiations aiming to reaching a legally binding, balanced and fair agreement that can serve the interests of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia along with strengthening cooperation and integration between the three countries and their peoples.

Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry traveled on Friday to Congo to attend talks on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) sponsored by the African Union.

Foreign ministers and irrigation ministers of the three concerned countries of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia are attending the meetings.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry hailed the stance of DR Congo, the current chair of the African Union, which urges serious and effective negotiations to reach a binding agreement on GERD that secures the interests of the three countries.

Rounds of negotiations among Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia have reached a deadlock several times.

Egypt and Sudan insist that a legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of the dam should be reached before Ethiopia implements the second phase of dam filling.

Ethiopia, on the other hand, reiterated that it would complete filling the dam in July whether an agreement is reached or not.

While Ethiopia affirms it would not significantly harm the Egyptian and Sudanese water interests, Sudan warned that that the second filling without a deal can endanger the lives of millions of Sudanese people living on the Nile River banks.

Egypt has frequently condemned the Ethiopian plans to implement the second filling unilaterally.