‘Egypt's position has not changed at all; it will not allow any harm to its share of Nile waters,' says Mostafa Madbouly
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly called on his Ethiopian counterpart Abiy Ahmed to finalize an agreement regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) that guarantees "no harm to Egypt.”
Madbouly made the remarks during a press conference in Egypt broadcast late Wednesday by the Prime Minister's office on Facebook.
His comment came in response to a question about his meeting with the Ethiopian prime minister at the BRICS economic summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from July 6-7.
"There was a group photo of heads of state and government on the sidelines of the BRICS summit. There were protocol arrangements, including handshakes with neighbors, and it happened that Egypt was seated next to Ethiopia and Iran. The photo was cropped to focus on the bilateral image between the Ethiopian and Egyptian prime ministers," Madbouly said.
"Egypt maintains relations with all countries worldwide and does not antagonize anyone. Our relations with all African countries are based on mutual respect. We have repeatedly confirmed that we are not against development in any country, but not at the expense of Egypt's rights to Nile waters. This is a firm stance,” he added.
The meeting between the two prime ministers occurred amid a longstanding crisis between the countries over Ethiopia's refusal to sign an agreement on filling and operating the dam.
Madbouly indicated that his meeting with Ahmed on the sidelines of BRICS touched on the Ethiopian prime minister's recent statement about "completing the construction of the GERD without harming Egypt and Sudan and inviting the two countries to resume cooperation on this file."
"This assurance was reiterated by the Ethiopian prime minister during the BRICS summit, confirming the same in a press statement, expressing his strong commitment and pledge not to harm Egypt in any way."
"Our comment was that Egypt is not against development, but Egypt has legitimate rights to the Nile waters,” Madbouly continued.
He said he informed Ahmed of "the necessity to translate all the intentions expressed in the statements into a written document that organizes the future relationship between the two countries or the Nile Basin countries, and we will see what happens in the coming period."
"Egypt's position has not changed at all; it will not allow any harm to its share of Nile waters and insists on the importance of having a written framework for the operating system that guarantees current and future generations their rights to the Nile," he stressed.
Last weekend, Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilam expressed skepticism about the seriousness and credibility of Ethiopia's calls for dialogue regarding disagreements over filling and operating the GERD, according to a statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Irrigation.
On the same day, Ahmed announced in a speech to the Ethiopian parliament that his country will officially inaugurate the GERD in September, expressing Ethiopia's readiness to continue dialogue with Egypt on the project, which represents “an opportunity” for regional cooperation, “not a threat.”
Construction on the GERD began in 2011, with Ethiopia self-financing most of the $4.2 billion project. Over the years, it has become a point of diplomatic tension, particularly between Ethiopia and Egypt, which fears reduced water flows could affect its share of the Nile.
Despite several rounds of negotiations under the African Union and international mediation, the three countries have yet to reach a legally binding agreement on long-term water management.
