Aboul Enein: Egypt Not against Building GERD but Not at Expenses of Its Rights

Chairman of the Egyptian-European Business Council Mohamed Aboul Enein said Egypt isn't against building the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) or Ethiopia's plans to generate electricity but not at the expense of Egypt's rights.

"That was President Abdel Fattah El Sisi's call during his speech before the United Nations General Assembly recently," Aboul Enein noted.

Aboul Enein was speaking on Wednesday during a seminar titled "The Renaissance Dam - Egypt, Ethiopia, and The International Community" with the presence of senior Egyptian and foreign diplomats.

[caption id="attachment_83955" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] The Seminar's Attendees[/caption]

"We need political and diplomatic roles to solve this important and dangerous problem," the honorary president of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly underscored.

He pointed out that President Sisi, since Egypt assumed the chairmanship of the African Union, was keen on addressing the continent's stability and development, especially boosting relations with the neighboring countries and Nile Basin states.

He clarified that the controversial issues have a political part and a technical part which need to be solved through the diplomatic and legal ways.

Aboul Enein gave an overview of the floods over Ethiopia, saying: "GERD needs 76 billion cubic meters of water to meet its needs. Egypt's rights of the Nile River is 55 billion m3 and every billion cubic meter waters 200,000 feddans."

[caption id="attachment_84042" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Aboul Enein Discusses with Diplomats and Legal Experts[/caption]

"Egypt should call for increasing its share in the Nile River in light of the growing population," he stressed.

During his speech, he reviewed the historic agreements on the Egyptian water rights and his meetings with the UNGA president and members of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly in New York.

He warned of a sudden escalation of the problem with Ethiopia at any level not to enter into a regional clash.

[caption id="attachment_84044" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Prominent Businssman Mohamed Aboul Enein[/caption]