Egypt has reaffirmed that starting the second phase of filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is a blatant and dangerous violation of the Declaration of Principles Agreement as well as the international laws and norms.
The Egyptian Minister of Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Aty expressed Egypt’s firm rejection of this unilateral measure, stressing that the move was a violation of international laws and norms that regulate projects built on the shared basins of international rivers.
Earlier, Abdel Aty received an official message from his Ethiopian counterpart, saying that Ethiopia has started the second phase of filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, a step that Egypt has repeatedly rejected.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a letter to the UN Security Council, which will hold a session on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam issue on Thursday, that negotiations between Ethiopia and Egypt are at an impasse, accusing Ethiopia of adopting a policy of intransigence that undermines collective efforts to reach an agreement.
Hamda Mustafa