Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly would head a ministerial delegation to the Libyan capital, Tripoli on Tuesday, according to informed sources.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly voiced Egypt’s deep concern over the latest talks deadlock over the controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
In a speech during the UNGA’s high-level meeting on water, Madbouly expressed his regret that a deal has not been reached through negotiations, which have taken place over the past few years under the sponsorship of the African Union (AU) and the mediation of international partners.
The negotiations have shown in recent years an approach by Ethiopia that aims to “impose a fait accompli and undertake unilateral measures without the consideration of the rights and interests of downstream countries.”
“This has been reflected in Ethiopia starting to fill the dam last year, and an announcement that it would continue to fill the dam this summer, even if an accord is not reached between the three countries,” he said.
Madbouly said that the filling of the dam by Ethiopia without a deal violates all international obligations and norms and threatens serious harm to the interests of Egypt and Sudan.
He said that the current deadlock makes it imperative to return to serious and effective negotiations under the AU umbrella with active participation from the international community to reach a legally binding accord before the upcoming flood season.
“This would spare the region further tension and achieve the interests of the three countries while simultaneously bolstering cooperation and integration between our countries,” he said.
Madbouly said that the issue of the Nile water was an “existential issue” that is associated with Egypt’s survival, especially as the country relies on the Nile for 98 percent of its water needs.
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