Egypt's foreign minister Sameh Shoukry said the international community holds the responsibility of the success of the ongoing negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), as talks reached a deadlock in the past months.  

Shoukry said the international community was responsible for reaching a just agreement on the reservoir's filling and operation rules in accordance with international law. 

The Egyptian prime minister was delivering a speech on Monday during a lecture titled "Egypt's Foreign Policy" at the Foreign Policy and United Nations Association of Austria (UNA-Austria) upon an invitation from Wolfgang Schüssel, the former Austrian chancellor, the foreign ministry spokesman said.

The foreign minister reviewed Egypt's vision on the major challenges facing the Middle East, explaining that Egypt supports the peoples' aspirations within a framework of maintaining their countries' stability, security, and institutions.

Egypt's policy constants are based on non-interference in other countries' domestic affairs and cooperation with all partners worldwide, the top diplomat said.

During the speech, Shoukry pointed out to several major issues, topped by the Syrian crisis and its developments, the latest of which was the Turkish aggression on northeastern Syria.

The foreign minister stressed that Egypt firmly refused the Turkish offensive and its negative impact on the political process, stressing that the Syrians have the right to self-defence.

He also talked about the Libyan crisis and the need to reach a political solution and settle the Palestinian cause through the two-state solution.

Senior Austrian officials and ambassadors attended the lecture.