Hafez: Mini AU Summit Stresses Necessity of Binding Legal Deal on GERD

Ahmed Hafez, Egypt's Foreign Ministry Spokesman said that the mini-summit held via video conference Tuesday as part of the African Union-sponsored negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), underlined the necessity to reach a binding deal on the filling and operation of the dam, which includes a legal mechanism to settle disputes that may arise in the future regarding the interpretation or implementation of the agreement.

“It was agreed to continue the negotiations in the current time to reach a binding legal agreement on the rules of filling and operating the Renaissance Dam, while work will continue later to reach a comprehensive agreement on the types of joint cooperation between the three countries concerning the use of the Nile,” Hafez added.

The spokesman noted that the summit dealt with the basic principles governing the negotiations, foremost of which is the necessity of commitment by all parties not to take unilateral measures as this constitutes a cornerstone for negotiations' success, and embodies the real desire to promote confidence-building measures and cooperation among the three countries.

Moreover, Hafez stressed that the commitment of all parties to implement the outcomes of the summit is necessary for reaching a balanced and fair agreement on the rules of filling and operating the dam.