Egypt’s FM hands Sisi’s message on GERD to Comoros president

CAIRO – 19 April 2021: Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry handed a message from President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to President of Comoros Azali Assoumani on developments of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in a meeting in Moroni.

Shoukry’s visit to Comoros is his second stop in an African six-nation tour that includes DR Congo, the current chair of the African Union, as well as Senegal, Tunisia, South Africa and Kenya.

The tour that started with Kenya comes to brief the six nations on developments of the GERD issue, including the latest AU-sponsored talks that took place in the Congolese capital of Kinshasa in April.

Sisi’s message to Assoumani included a brief on the current situation of the GERD issue and the Egyptian stance in this regard, a statement by the Egyptian Foreign ministry read.

Comoros is a current member at the Bureau of the Assembly of the African Union.

Shoukry, during his meeting with Assoumani, reviewed the highlights of the Kinshasa talks.

Shoukry said these recent talks highlighted Egypt’s genuine political leadership to launch a serious negotiations path that results in reaching a legal binding agreement on the filling and operation of the dam.

Shoukry affirmed that this agreement should preserve the rights and interests of the three countries of Egypt, Ethiopia ana Sudan.

The Egyptian minister also expressed Egypt’s keenness to work with concerned nations and parties to reach a solution to the GERD dispute, in a way that does not harm regional security and stability.

Shoukryv also said Egypt is looking forward to developing the bilateral relations with Comoros in various fields and continuing coordination and consultation with the African country on regional and international issues of mutual concern.

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.

Shoukry last week sent a letter to the United Nations Security Council, calling on the international community to engage in advancing the stalled GERD talks and persuade Ethiopia to refrain from unilateral acts.