Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on Sunday that his country would take “serious” measures to protect water security and deal with any irresponsible move by Ethiopia regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Shoukry mentioned that negotiations with Ethiopia regarding GERD have been going on for 10 years now, and a just solution must be reached to achieve regional stability while meeting the interests of all involved parties. He stressed that reaching an agreement with Ethiopia regarding filling GERD until this moment is not difficult, as each party knows very well how to achieve its water interests. The US State Department called on Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia on Friday to enter into serious negotiations over GERD, warning against any unilateral steps in the crisis. The construction of the dam, which began in 2011, is considered to be one of Egypt’s most serious water issues.

Source: Egypt Independent April 12, 2021 09:45 UTC