A statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said that Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry lamented that while Egypt had hoped for the success of the African Union in managing the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) dilemma, negotiations have to achieve anything tangible and did not produce the desired results. The statement added that Shoukry stressed the need to reach a binding legal agreement before the second phase of filling GERD, by launching a serious negotiation path, taking into account the interests of the three countries. Negotiations over the dam between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan have stalled for years, with the three parties ultimately failing to reach any agreements. Egypt, on January 10, said that the recent sessions of GERD negotiations have failed once again due to differences on how to resume talks and of the procedural aspects related to managing the negotiation process. The construction of the dam, which began in 2011, is considered to be one of Egypt’s most serious water issues.

Source: Egypt Independent February 14, 2021 14:26 UTC