First filling of GERD does not harm Egypt’s Nile share, Irrigation Ministry

CAIRO – 26 July 2020: The spokesperson of the Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources Mohammed Sebaei said Saturday that the first filling of the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) does not harm Egypt’s share of the Nile Waters.

Sebaei added in press statements that the water reserve of the High Dam’s lake covers the Egyptian needs of water, however, he warned against a possible drought that could be caused if GERD was not filled according to a binding agreement.

Sebaie added that the Egyptian distinguished diplomacy will not respond to the provocations of the Ethiopian propaganda on GERD.

During a phone call with the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, President Abdel Fatah al Sisi reiterated the Egyptian stance on GERD that calls for a legally comprehensive agreement between the involved parts on the operating and filling of the dam and rejects any unilateral action that would harm Egyptian water rights.

The South African President said he hopes that the coordination continues between his country and Egypt on GERD until a fair and balanced agreement is reached.

The African Union called Friday on Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia to urgently finalize a binding agreement on the filling and operation of the Renaissance Dam, with the support of African Union experts and observers.

In its statement, the AU said that the latest meeting on the GERD negotiations last Tuesday reflected noticeable progress in the negotiations.

This statement; however, came in conjunction with Ethiopian statements rejecting any binding agreement according to Al Arabiya. Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry explained that it only seeks to reach a ‘guiding agreement’, not binding regarding the GERD legal and technical aspects.