Shoukry: Raising GERD Issue to UNSC Possible

Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry on Monday said the latest updates regrading the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) negotiations don't bode well in terms of achieving positive results, forcing Egypt to pursue other alternatives.

Shoukry was speaking during a symposium titled "Egyptian Diplomacy: Handling Current Challenges" on latest developments of the GERD file, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

[caption id="attachment_132405" align="alignnone" width="960"] Shoukry Talks during The Symposium[/caption]

The foreign minister described the updates of the negotiations as not promising amid Ethiopia's intransigence in a way that would likely force Egypt to opt for other options, like raising the issue with the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to prevent Ethiopia from adopting unilateral measures that may undermine the Egyptian water rights.

The top diplomat affirmed Egypt's commitment to the path of negotiations during the course of the previous years as well as its eagerness to reach a just solution to the crisis that meets the interests of the three concerned countries.

[caption id="attachment_132406" align="aligncenter" width="960"] The Symposium Attendees[/caption]

The symposium was organized by the Egyptian Business Council for International Cooperation, under its Head Moataz Raslan, at the premises of the Foreign Ministry.

The video conference meeting was attended by leaderships of the State Council.