The issue of the Renaissance Dam is witnessing an Egyptian and Sudanese diplomatic movement, following the Security Council session, which returned the issue to the African Union, calling on the three countries to proceed with the negotiation path, without specifying a time limit.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry headed to the Belgian capital, Brussels, on a visit to discuss the latest developments in the Ethiopian dam file.
A statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry stated that Shoukry will deliver a letter from President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to the President of the European Council, during the visit.
The statement added that Shoukry is scheduled to meet with the foreign ministers of the European Union and senior officials of the European Commission, to discuss bilateral relations and regional issues.
The Sudanese Foreign Minister holds meetings with her Russian counterpart and a number of officials in Moscow (European)
Mahdi in Russia
For her part, the Sudanese Foreign Minister, Maryam Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi, arrived in the Republic of Russia, on a 3-day official visit.
Al-Mahdi will hold talks with her Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, on the course of bilateral relations between the two countries in various fields, as well as urgent regional and international issues, especially the Renaissance Dam crisis.
She will also meet, according to a statement by the Sudanese Foreign Ministry, the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, the head of the Russian side in the Sudanese-Russian Joint Ministerial Committee for Trade and Economic Cooperation.
Consultations are continuing in the UN Security Council on the draft resolution on the Renaissance Dam that Ethiopia built on the Nile, and Egypt and Sudan refuse to operate it before reaching a framework that guarantees their water rights.
Egyptian anger غضب
The Egyptian foreign minister said that he would express to the members of the Security Council its dissatisfaction with the council's ignoring the condemnation of the second mobilization of the dam, adding that the situation in the Security Council is complicated by accommodations and political considerations.
Shoukry pointed out that Egypt and Sudan want negotiations involving other parties, such as the United States and the European Union, to present alternatives that contribute to the success of the negotiations.
He stressed that the negotiations will not be "endless", and that his country will not compromise in defending its interests, and that it has the capacity and capabilities, but it seeks to reach a solution.
More than just a dam
On the other hand, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said that the Renaissance Dam project is more than just a dam for the Ethiopians, and that it is a symbol of state sovereignty and national unity, as he put it.
Abi Ahmed stated that his country never wants to harm other countries, but it wants the fair use of the Nile River.
He said that he wanted to reassure the Nile Basin countries that his country did not want to harm them, and that the Addis Ababa door was open for mutual benefit, as he put it.
Ethiopia adheres to the fact that the dam is acquiring an economic character and should be addressed within the African framework, and the Security Council has no right to discuss its repercussions, because it is not related to international peace and security.
In return, Egypt and Sudan are pushing for an international resolution obligating Ethiopia to stop operating the dam until an agreement is reached that guarantees their interests.