Egypt’s FM reviews Ethiopian dam file developments with EU ambassadors in MENA region

CAIRO – 30 March 2023: Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry reviewed developments of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) with ambassadors of the European Union in the Middle East and North Africa region and officials at the European External Action Service (EEAS).

Shoukry reaffirmed the pillars and vision of the Egyptian position regarding the GERD dispute as he received the ambassadors and EEAS officials within the framework of their visit to Cairo to hold their annual meeting, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Egypt and Sudan have repeatedly affirmed the need for Ethiopia to sign a legally-binding agreement on the filling and operation of GERD with the downstream countries, a demand that Addis Ababa has rejected.

Egypt has noted that a legally-binding agreement on the dam would ensure that the Ethiopian development goals are achieved and that the Egyptian and Sudanese water interests and peoples are not harmed.

Egypt has warned that the continuity of the status quo regarding the mega Ethiopian dam represents an element of instability that threatens the interests of the peoples of the region.

However, Ethiopia announced last August starting electricity production from the second turbine of the dam despite objections by the two downstream countries on such unilateral acts by Ethiopia.

Ethiopia also implemented last year the third filling of the dam despite Egypt and Sudan’s rejection of the step and prepares to implement the fourth phase of the dam’s reservoir filling.

During Thursday’s meeting, Shoukry discussed means of boosting relations between Egypt and the EU in various fields, including within the framework of the bilateral frameworks or through existing and ongoing coordination between Egypt and the various European groupings.

Such groupings include the Union for the Mediterranean and the Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for the Dialogue Between Cultures, Shoukry noted.

The meeting also discussed developments of cooperation between the two sides in a number of fields, including trade and investment, energy security, food security, climate change and green transition, counterterrorism, education and scientific research, and addressing the phenomenon of illegal immigration.

Shoukry and the EU officials and diplomats also discussed aspects of cooperation in the field of maritime security and cybersecurity and reviewed the priorities of cooperation between the two sides during the coming period.