Moscow ready to work to reach GERD agreement among Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia: ambassador

CAIRO – 6 August 2021: Russian Ambassador in Cairo Georgiy Borisenko asserted his country’s willingness to work with Addis Ababa to reach a mutually acceptable agreement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) dispute with Egypt and Sudan.

“We are ready to assist in this effort, including working with Addis Ababa to reach a mutually acceptable agreement at the negotiating table,” he said.

Borisenko affirmed his country’s recognition of the GERD issue Egypt is facing as a “truly existential issue” for the Egyptian state.

“Of course, we see how serious the challenge for Egypt is to ensure water safety. This is a truly existential issue for a country where Neil (River Nile) has remained the only freshwater source for millennia and today provides lives to a population of more than 100 million,” Borisenki said, according to a statement posted on the Russian embassy in Cairo.

“Therefore, we understand the concerns of Egyptian friends about the construction of the ′Revival’ dam on Ethiopian territory,” he said.

“Russia has always advocated and continues to advocate for a fair settlement of the dispute over this construction while fully taking into account the interests of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia,” the statement added.

“We are convinced that compromise solutions can and should be found between neighbors that will allow all three states to implement national development programs in an atmosphere of good neighborhood, peace and stability,” the envoy added.