Date: Sunday, 22 September 2024
Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty stressed Friday that Egypt views its water share in the Nile River as an existential issue and is fully prepared to defend its water security.
FM Abdelatty's statements came during an interview with Asharq News TV channel in Washington DC on the sidelines of his visit to the US to meet with American officials and participate in the high-level meeting of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
The Egyptian top diplomat's statements come amid the ongoing dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia over Addis Ababa's decade-old refusal to sign any legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
"Such agreement must include legal principles that cannot be waived, the most important of which is the principle of not causing any harm to the interests of downstream countries, in addition to the importance of prior notification of any projects undertaken on the Nile River.”
“The Nile water is not a gift from any party, but rather a gift from God Almighty, and it is a natural resource that we share as long as it crosses borders,” stressed Abdelatty.
"The Nile is an international river. It is not a river owned by Ethiopia or any other country. Rather, it is a cross-border river, and, therefore, the rules of international law apply to it."
“All talks with Ethiopia have stopped since 2023 as a result of Addis Ababa's evasion and negotiating in bad faith," he added.
"These negotiations, which took 13 years, did not reach anything, and the negotiations were exploited by Addis Ababa to impose a fait accompli by building the dam.”
FM Abdelatty stressed that Egypt would defend its water share in the Nile within the framework of international law.
"In the event of any harm, we will defend our interests without any complacency, because the matter concerns the interests, security, and stability of more than 110 million people."
FM Abdelatty described the humanitarian crisis in Sudan to Asharq News as a serious concern for Egypt and criticized the Western world's limited response.
He reiterated Egypt's commitment to Sudan's unity and stability, saying Cairo views any attempt to divide Sudan as a "red line".
“I had a lengthy meeting with the American envoy to Sudan today. Our message to the United States was clear: We encourage the American side to communicate further with the legitimate Sudanese government," he said.
"It is illogical to put all parties on an equal footing as there must be a legitimate government.”
"By supporting and interacting with it, we can reach an immediate ceasefire and the entry of aid," he added.
"This approach could start a comprehensive political process that does not exclude anyone and ensures the establishment of an open and inclusive democratic system in Sudan," added Abdelatty.
The foreign minister discussed the extensive efforts Egypt is making to end the civil war in Sudan, saying Cairo was the first to host Sudanese political factions for dialogue in various summits.
Egypt continues to provide support to tens of thousands of Sudanese refugees despite bearing huge economic burdens and the absence of sufficient international funding, he noted.
The Egyptian FM told Asharq that Israeli aggression in Gaza is to blame for the rising tensions in the Middle East,
He stressed that Cairo has repeatedly warned that Israeli provocative and unilateral actions could lead to the dangerous opening of additional fronts of war in the region.
Abdelatty said recent escalations in Lebanon and the Red Sea are consequences of the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
He highlighted to Asharq News Egypt's efforts to prevent the situation from spiralling into a full-scale war.
“Egypt is the party most affected by instability in the Red Sea. The Egyptian treasury loses $600 million a month due to the decline in Suez Canal revenues - $6 billion in total losses."
“I communicated with the Foreign Minister of Iran to convey a message on the necessity of stopping the escalation and preventing the region from sliding into a regional war, and preserving Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
The Egyptian top diplomat highlighted Egypt's mediation efforts - alongside Qatar and the US - to reach an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza war.
The lack of political will on Israel's part remains a significant obstacle to reaching a ceasefire in Gaza, he added.
"I spoke at length with my American counterpart, Anthony Blinken, to intervene and put pressure on the Israeli side to stop unilateral policies that could only lead to escalation and do not serve the interests of stability in the region,” he added.
The Egyptian FM reaffirmed that Israel must withdraw from the Rafah border crossing and the Philadelphi corridor and return to pre-7 October lines.
“There can be no talk about the day after the war, except after stopping the crimes committed against the defenceless Palestinian people, and reaching a ceasefire."
"In addition, we need to empower the Palestinian Authority, as the legitimate authority responsible for managing the affairs of Gaza, affirming the unity of the strip with the West Bank, and starting a serious path that leads to the establishment of a Palestinian state," added Abdelatty.
