Cairo welcomes UN Security Council presidential statement on GERD

CAIRO – 15 September 2021: Egypt has welcomed the UN Security Council statement issued, Wednesday on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) encouraging all three countries [Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopian] to resume negotiations with the aim of reaching a legal binding agreement on the filling and operation of the dam within a reasonable time frame.

Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged observers of previous GERD negotiations under the African Union's sponsorship, and any other observers to be involved in future dam talks, to continue supporting the negotiation to facilitate all technical, or any other issues regarding the agreement.

Egypt stated that the UNSC statement issued as part the body's commitment to preserving international peace and security, reaffirms the special importance state members attach to the dam issue, as well as their appreciation of the dire need to contain its grave implications on international peace and security.

Egypt noted that UNSC statement represents an important impetus to the efforts made for the success of the AU sponsored talks on GERD.

The statement also affirmed that UNSC statement on GERD pushes Ethiopia to engage seriously and with a sincere political will in the talks to reach a binding legal agreement on the filling and operating the Renaissance Dam.

The UN Security Council adopted, wednesday a presidential statement calling on all three parties involved in the GERD to resume negotiations under the auspices of the African Union.

“The Security Council is not the competent authority in technical and administrative disputes over water sources and rivers.” The UNSC statement said

The Security Council also on the parties to to resume negotiations, stressing the need to return to the agreement of principles signed in 2015.

In statements to Bloomberg last week, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said that Egypt has committed itself for negotiations to solve the tension over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) over the past ten years and still seeking a peaceful resolution to solve this issue based on the international law and the best practice.

Shoukry affirmed that “Egypt’s president has never indicated that he would be taken military actions against Ethiopia”, and when asked about the terminology of “all options are on the table”, Shoukry explained that this terminology has always been used by any country to always say that all options are always open.

“Defiantly we have done everything to avoid negotiations and I think no body seeks conflict. On contrary we seek a peaceful resolution to solve this issue passed on the international law and based on the best practice.” Shoukry said.

He added that for the political will of the Ethiopian government it could be demonstrated by signing an agreement.

Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan are at loggerheads over the $4-billion dam; Cairo voiced concern over its water share [55.5 billion cubic meters] after Ethiopia started building the dam on the Blue Nile in May 2011.

In 2015, the three countries signed the Declaration of Principles, per which the downstream countries [Egypt and Sudan] should not be negatively affected by the construction of the dam.