Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry asked the UN Security Council (UNSC) to shoulder its responsibility and work on resuming talks on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) under the sponsorship of the African Union till reaching out a binding deal that meets the needs of the three countries, Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia, and defuse tension in the region and Africa.
At a press conference following the UNSC session on GERD at the request of Egypt and Sudan, Shoukry said the unilateral action taken by Ethiopia to start the second filling of the dam without agreement with the upstream countries is representing an “existential” threat to the sovereignty of Sudan and Egypt where more than 150 million persons are living.
Shoukry said Egypt is looking forward to working with the UNSC to fulfill its diplomatic responsibility in affirmation of the statements of the 15 member-states of the UN on the necessity of reviving the negotiation track intensively under the supervision of the African Union.
He said “We did not feel the intention of any party to settle the issue. We know that there are some differences on the techniques and practices, but Ethiopia did not show any political resolve to reach a deal, which is a key hurdle towards reaching an agreement despite the resilience of both Egypt and Sudan.
The Egyptian top diplomat said UNSC should assume its responsibilities to maintain peace and security and embrace a draft resolution floated by Tunisia to back the negotiation track.
Regarding the possibility of Egypt opting for a military action, Shoukry said Egypt has to protect the rights of its people, saying “it is a necessary matter for every government”.
He underlined that Egypt has started negotiations on the dam issue more than a decade and has shown its good intentions and resilience in this regard.
Shoukry pointed out that Egypt’s request to the UNSC to convene a special session on the dam has given a proof that Egypt is seeking the help of the international community at such turning point to ease tensions, encourage the return to the negotiation table and work out a final deal.
He said Ethiopian irrigation minister has announced that he is ready to launch talks, but in the meantime he was not ready to conclude the talks. This is the technique that Ethiopia has been following over the past decade, Shoukry explained.
The Egyptian top diplomat said that Ethiopia should respect the UN Charter, reiterating that Egypt will continue to show flexibility, while at the same time protect the souls and livelihood of Egyptians.
Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said that all measures taken by Ethiopia over the past 10 years leaned against claims of “injustice”, a matter which is baseless, in order to avert entering a binding agreement.
“Egypt acknowledged Ethiopia’s right to benefit from the dam, but it has called for its interests and water security to be protected from potential damage in case of irresponsible filling and operation of the dam,” he told the press conference.
“Egypt will continue inviting the brothers in Ethiopia to commit to international law rules and norms,” he stressed.
“This intransigence and vicious circles of endless negotiations cannot go on indefinitely, and any upcoming round of negotiations should take place under a timeframe and with an active role of observers,” he said.
Asked about the possibility of Russia’s help in international efforts to bring closer views on the GERD, the foreign minister said Egypt welcomes all efforts exerted at the international level.
“Egypt interacts with all parties that have the ability and will to help the three countries,” Shoukry told the press conference.
The foreign minister said the coming step will be from the council and its members, which will depend on the council’s responsibility in accordance with the UN Charter and its role in working on containing escalation and solving differences in peaceful means as well as supporting the African path.
Source: State Information Service Egypt