Madbouly on GERD: Egypt Has Historic Rights to Nile Waters

Egypt’s Prime Minister (PM) Mostafa Madbouly said on Sunday, that water is the main determinant of increasing the agricultural area.

This came during a press conference held on Sunday to announce the state’s plan to deal with the global economic crisis, Madbouly adding that the Renaissance Dam file.

Regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Madbouly added that Egypt has clear historic rights to Nile waters.

Moreover, he stressed that Egypt contributes to huge development projects for the Nile Basin countries, but we will not dismiss any infringement on our rights in the Nile waters.

Last February, Egypt confirmed in an official statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today, Sunday, that the step of operating the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) unilaterally is a further violation by the Ethiopian side of its obligations under the 2015 Declaration of Principles Agreement signed by the Ethiopian Prime Minister.

“Egypt’s Foreign Ministry warns that Ethiopia, solely launching the dam operations, is a breach to the Declaration of Principles signed in 2015,” the statement said.

This statement came in response to the Ethiopian announcement of the unilateral start of operating the Renaissance Dam, after the previous unilateral start of the first and second phases of filling the dam.