Egypt on Sunday wrote a letter to the UN about the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) which has been a disputed issue between Ethiopia and Egypt.
The letter from Egyptian Foreign Minister Abdelatty is addressed to the UN Security Council. It addresses Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s recent remarks on the fifth phase of filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
In the letter, Abdelatty described Ahmed’s statements about reserving a quantity of Blue Nile water this year and completing the concrete structure of the Ethiopian dam as “entirely unacceptable to the Egyptian state.”
“The conclusion of the negotiations paths regarding GERD after 13 years of genuine Egyptian intentions came after it became clear to everyone that Addis Ababa only seeks to prolong the negotiating cover indefinitely to solidify the status quo,” the letter said.
The letter accused the Ethiopian side of lacking the political will required to reach a solution regarding the GERD dispute and seeking to legitimize its unilateral policies contrary to international law, while hiding behind baseless claims that these policies stem from the right of peoples to development.
“Egypt continues to closely monitor developments and is prepared to take all measures and steps guaranteed under the United Nations Charter to defend its existence, the capabilities of its people, and its interests,” the letter stressed.
Egypt and Ethiopia have been locked into this dispute over the building of GERD for years. Egypt wants Ethiopia to sign a legally binding agreement about dam operations and works. Ethiopia is only willing to share operational data with Egypt. It does not want to commit to any legally binding agreement.
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