Sisi Calls for Balanced and Binding Agreement on Renaissance Dam Crisis
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Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi affirms that Egypt aspires to reach a balanced an legally binding agreement without further delay.
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Sisi Calls for Balanced and Binding Agreement on Renaissance Dam Crisis
On Sunday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi called for quickly reaching a balanced and binding agreement on the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam crisis.
In his address at the commencement of the fourth session of the Cairo Water Week, Sisi noted that "the per capita share of water in Egypt does not surpass 560 cubic meters yearly," despite the fact that the United Nations defines water poverty at 1,000 cubic meters.
He also emphasized that "Egypt is the driest country in the world, with the lowest rate of rainfall among countries, resulting in Egypt's virtually entire reliance on Nile River water that originates from beyond the borders."
The President continued to explain that the Egyptian people are closely following the developments of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam issue, emphasizing that Egypt is looking forward to "reaching a balanced and legally binding agreement in this regard as soon as possible and without further delay," on the basis of respect for international law and in a way that enshrines international cooperation.
He emphasized the importance of upholding principles of cooperation and solidarity, which would enable the people to successfully confront current water issues, and avoid falling into the clutches of strife over them.
Earlier, in his discussions with his South Sudanese counterpart, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi reiterated the prominence of reaching a legally binding agreement on the GERD's Operation and Filing Policies.
It is noteworthy that Ethiopia began constructing the Renaissance Dam in 2011, aiming to generate electricity.
Despite the signing of a Declaration of Principles stating the three nations' intention to establish an agreement on filling and running the dam via discussion, the negotiations failed.
While Egypt is concerned about the dam's influence on its share of Nile water, which amounts to 55.5 billion cubic meters per year, Khartoum is concerned about the Ethiopian dam's impact on the operation of Sudanese dams.
