Egypt expresses to UAE desire to reach legally binding deal on GERD

CAIRO – 16 April 2021: Egypt’s Minister of Water Resources Mohamed Abdel Aati expressed to UAE’s Ambassador to Egypt Hamad bin Saied Egypt’s clear desire to reach a fair, legally binding agreement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

As they met on Thursday, Abdel Aati affirmed the need for a binding agreement on the filling and operation of the massive GERD in a way that meet the aspiration of the three concerned countries of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia in development.

Abdel Aati also highlighted Egypt’s fixed stance on the need to preserve the Egyptian water rights.

Sudan earlier welcomed a suggested Emirati mediation in the GERD dispute between Egypt and Sudan on one side and Ethiopia on the other side.

Rounds of negotiations among Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia on GERD have reached a deadlock several times with Egypt blaming the failure on Ethiopia’s intransigence.

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, however, says it will complete the dam filling in July with or without an agreement.

The meeting between Abdel Aati and bin Saied comes amid allegations that the UAE has been funding the GERD. Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shourky denied these allegations on Thursday, saying no country of those sharing strong relations and friendship with Egypt is funding the dam.