Egypt Willing to Resume Talks as Hamdok Discusses with Abiy Renaissance Dam
Arab World
Khartoum - Ahmed Younis
Egypt on Thursday said it was willing to resume negotiations with Sudan and Ethiopia over filling a controversial mega-dam that has been a source of tension between the Nile Basin countries. "Egypt is always ready to enter into negotiations and participate in upcoming meetings to reach a fair, balanced and comprehensive agreement," the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said. The ministry said the agreement would have to take into account "Egypt's water interests, as well as those of Ethiopia and Sudan.” Cairo’s stance came following a video call between Sudanese Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok and his Ethiopian counterpart, Abiy Ahmed, on the Renaissance dam negotiations. The two sides affirmed the necessity for the three parties to return to the negotiation table to complete the remaining part of the agreement on filling and operating the dam according to the talks carried out in Washington. Hamdok affirmed Sudan’s readiness to contact the two countries to reach an agreement that guarantees the full interests of the three states. The Ethiopian Prime Minister expressed willingness to cooperate with Sudan and Egypt to reach a final agreement that satisfies the interests of the three countries. Sudan’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Omar Gamaredeen affirmed Thursday that the top priority of his ministry is to restore Sudan’s effective role in the international community. “We call on Egypt and Ethiopia to resort to wisdom and return to the negotiation table,” the minister said. “Sudan is not neutral in the Renaissance dam issue, but a genuine part, and its stance is based on a firm principle that considers the high interest of the country,” Gamaredeen said. Last week, Sudan rejected the Ethiopian proposal to sign an initial agreement green lighting the filling of the dam it is building. Tensions have been high in the Nile basin ever since Ethiopia broke ground on the project in 2011. Addis Ababa says the dam is crucial for its economy, while Egypt fears it will disrupt the river that provides almost all its water. Sudan hopes the dam will provide much-needed electricity and help regulate flooding. The US Treasury Department and the World Bank stepped in as observers last year to facilitate talks between the three countries after negotiations repeatedly failed.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2296526/egypt-willing-resume-talks-hamdok-discusses-abiy-renaissance-dam
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