Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Hani Sewilam during their meeting. Photo courtesy of Egyptian Foreign Ministry.
The two ministers emphasised that protecting Egypt’s water interests does not conflict with the developmental aspirations of its neighbours, provided that all parties adhere to the international law governing transboundary rivers.
The ministers also reiterated Egypt’s categorical rejection of unilateral measures in the Eastern Nile Basin that violate these principles, vowing to monitor developments closely and take all measures permitted under international law to protect the vital resources of the Egyptian people.
The remarks came during a joint meeting to coordinate positions on regional and international water issues, as part of ongoing collaboration between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Water Resources and Irrigation.
Egypt has previously described the Ethiopian measures on the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) as a clear violation of international law, particularly the rules related to the fair and equitable use of international waterways and the prohibition of causing harm to neighbouring countries.
A decade of negotiations between the downstream nations, Egypt and Sudan, and Ethiopia has failed to produce an agreement balancing water security for downstream nations with Ethiopia's development targets.
In December 2023, Cairo announced the end of the GERD negotiation track, citing Ethiopia's persistent rejection of any proposed technical or legal solutions.
In July, Minister Sewilam expressed the country’s firm rejection of Ethiopia’s repeated unilateral measures after Addis Ababa announced the completion of its multi-billion-dollar mega-dam, with plans for official inauguration in September.
Discussions between the two ministers focused on strengthening historic ties with fellow Nile Basin countries, particularly in the southern basin, and advancing cooperation through various frameworks, including the Egyptian Agency for Partnership for Development and the Egyptian Nile Basin Development Initiative.
The ministers reviewed progress on joint visits and high-level contacts with their counterparts in Nile Basin capitals, most recently a trip to Uganda. They also highlighted Egypt’s newly launched $100 million financing mechanism to support developmental and infrastructure projects—including dams—in southern Nile Basin states.
Egypt’s development efforts in the region include the construction of solar-powered water pumping stations, groundwater wells, river ports, reservoirs, rainfall prediction centres, water quality laboratories, and flood protection projects in countries such as South Sudan, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania.
In addition, Egypt has implemented training programs for more than 1,650 participants from 52 African countries, with the total cost of completed projects amounting to $100 million.
The meeting also addressed the latest developments within the Nile Basin Initiative’s consultation process aimed at restoring consensus and inclusiveness among member states.
The ministers agreed to continue close coordination and to press ahead with upcoming projects under the new financing mechanism, including the planned Mabankana Hydropower Dam in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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