Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry (Reuters)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry had a phone call on Tuesday with UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab in which the pair discussed the latest developments concerning the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam crisis, and developments in Palestine and Libya, the Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman said.
According to the Egyptian foreign ministry, Shoukry stressed Egypt's rejection of any unilateral action on the mega-dam before a comprehensive, fair and well-balanced agreement is reached between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan.
Last week, talks on the dam between Cairo, Addis Ababa and Khartoum resumed in response to a call from South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa, the current chair of the AU.
Following the first session of the AU-brokered talks, Egypt and Sudan said that three countries had agreed to delay the filling until a trilateral agreement on the disputed project is reached. The AU-brokered talks are due to end on 11 July.
Shoukry and Raab also discussed the latest regional developments, including the situation in Palestine, where Shoukry stressed the importance of reaching a two-state solution and warned that any unilateral action could weaken the chances of peace and affect the stability of the region.
Israel is considering annexing parts of the occupied West Bank under a US-plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace, a move that has been rejected by the Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank.
The Egyptian and British officials also discussed the situation in Libya, and Shoukry warned of the grave consequences of any illegitimate foreign interference in the North African country.
Shoukry underlined the need to contain the crisis by working to bring about a comprehensive political settlement that ensures the restoration of the Libyan state and national state institutions.
Shoukry and Raab also agreed on the importance of continuing their consultations and coordination on all issues of mutual concern during the period ahead, the Egyptian spokesman concluded.
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