Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi stressed his country's keenness to deal with the issue of the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam through negotiations, which may be prolonged, stressing not to sign anything that will not achieve the national interest, while Egypt and Sudan criticized Ethiopia the day before yesterday because of what the two countries described as a reservoir The Renaissance Dam built unilaterally on the Blue Nile, at the start of a new round of talks aimed at regulating the flow of water from the mega project.
In detail, Sisi said yesterday, during the inauguration of the industrial city in Rubiky, on the road between Cairo and Suez, that "the concern of the Egyptian people about the Renaissance Dam is legitimate, but we have to know and make sure of our position in the Renaissance Dam."
He added: «This issue, historical, like the pyramid and the Egyptian civilization, erected thousands of years ago on the banks of this great river, hence the fairness of our position and our cause in the Renaissance Dam, but at the same time, the Egyptian position is steadfast that if it is the right of states to use water in Development, it is our right not to suffer any harm ».
He continued: «We are in a negotiation battle that may be prolonged, but we will not sign anything that will not achieve the national interest», pointing to the need for the media to play its role, without using the language of threat.
He added: "I assure the Egyptians about the file of the Renaissance Dam, that no one will be able to betray us or to oppose Egypt's rights and national security, whether in the water issue or otherwise."
Al-Sisi added, "Our concerns are work, because work gives us strength and deterrence for those who try to violate our rights," calling for more work and more production.
Sudan and Egypt fear that the dam, which aims to generate electricity, and costs $ 4 billion, will lead to a shortage of their water share each. The project raises fears in Egypt of a further decrease in the waters of the Nile. The Blue Nile is a tributary of the Nile, and Egypt obtains 90% of its fresh water from it.
Arduous negotiations over a decade failed to reach an agreement to regulate how Ethiopia would fill and operate the reservoir of the dam, without prejudice to the scarce water shares for the two downstream countries.
The Grand Renaissance Dam is located only about 15 km from the border with Sudan on the Blue Nile, the source of most of the Nile water.
Last week, Ethiopia, which considers the dam vital to providing its people with the electricity needs, said it had accomplished what it was targeting in the first year of filling the reservoir of the Renaissance Dam, thanks to the heavy rainy season.
The Egyptian Ministry of Irrigation said in a statement, "The two downstream countries expressed their concerns about the unilateral filling carried out by Ethiopia, which overshadowed the meeting, and raised many questions about the feasibility of the current course of negotiations and reaching a just agreement for filling and operation."
The Sudanese Ministry of Irrigation said in a statement that Sudan considers Ethiopia's behavior "by starting with the first filling of the dam, before reaching a binding agreement between the three countries, a harmful and disturbing precedent in the course of cooperation between the countries concerned."
There is no comment from Ethiopia yet. Among the issues discussed in the talks, hosted by the African Union, are how to operate the dam during dry years with low rainfall, and whether the agreement and its dispute resolution mechanisms should be legally binding.
Al-Sisi: No one will be able to denigrate us or violate Egypt's national rights and security, whether in the water issue or otherwise.