Ethiopia called on the European Union to be neutral as an observer of the Renaissance Dam negotiations, considering that its second filling does not harm the two downstream countries, while Sudan affirmed its rejection of unilateral measures by Ethiopia, and that time has not yet run out to reach an agreement.
In his meeting with the European Union's Special Representative, Anita Weber, in Addis Ababa on Monday, Ethiopian Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen called on the European Union to take a neutral position as an observer of the negotiating process regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
Mekonnen - who is also Deputy Prime Minister - added that the second filling of the dam is carried out in accordance with the Declaration of Principles and during the rainy season without causing significant harm to the downstream countries.
The Ethiopian News Agency reported that the meeting included a discussion of the border dispute between Ethiopia and Sudan, where Mekonnen said that Sudan imposed its claims by force, which is a violation of international law, as he put it.
Mekonnen: The second filling of the dam takes place in accordance with the Declaration of Principles and during the rainy season (Reuters)
Sudan's position
These statements came after the Sudanese Ministry of Irrigation announced yesterday that it was not too late to reach a necessary agreement on the dam if the political will was available, stressing that it would be a "legal, binding and comprehensive agreement."
The ministry also announced in a statement its rejection of Ethiopia's unilateral measures regarding the Renaissance Dam, which "impose a fait accompli and ignore the concerns of its partners in the Nile River."
Prior to this statement, Ethiopian Irrigation Minister Seleshi Begley said on Twitter that the second filling of the Renaissance Dam had been completed, adding that "the amount of rain that falls this year is enormous, we can understand how great the Creator's blessing is and how it helps us."
Bakli assured Egypt and Sudan that no harm would befall them as a result of the second mobilization of the Renaissance Dam, noting that the Renaissance Dam is the guard for the two downstream countries against climate changes, as it is a means of development and prosperity together, as he described.
On July 8, the UN Security Council concluded that the Renaissance Dam negotiations should be intensively revived under the auspices of the African Union, to sign a binding legal agreement that meets the needs of Egypt and Sudan with Ethiopia.
The three countries exchange accusations of being responsible for the failure of negotiations on the dam sponsored by the African Union for months, within a negotiating process that began about 10 years ago.