Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said that international parties, topped by the UN, must live up to their responsibility and exert serious pressure on Ethiopia to negotiate in good faith for striking a fair deal on the Renaissance dam dispute.
Shoukry made the remarks on Wednesday during a meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York, as part of his ongoing meetings with UN members and other parties to brief them on Egypt’s position on Ethiopia’s controversial dam, ahead of a UNSC session to debate the matter on Thursday.
Shoukry reiterated to the UN chief the urgent need to thrash out a legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of the dam, taking into account the water interests of the parties involved, according to a statement by Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Hafez.
He also emphasized Egypt’s categorical rejection of Ethiopia’s unilateral move to go on with the dam’s 2nd-phase filling in a bid to impose a fait accompli on downstream countries, which constitutes a flagrant breach of international law and norms, as well as the Declaration of Principles signed by Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia in 2015.
Shoukry also warned of the grave consequences of such unilateral actions on regional security and stability.
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