Sisi Chairs National Security Council Meeting, Discusses GERD, Libya

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi presided over on Tuesday a meeting of the National Security Council to discuss a set of vital issues.

The meeting tackled Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) file, as well as current developments in the Libyan crisis.

The council issued the following statement regarding GERD talks:

"The Arab Republic of Egypt has received the invitation of the Sudanese Minister of Irrigation to resume Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) negotiations today, June 9, 2020; Egypt affirms its principled position of permanent willingness to negotiate in order to reach a fair and balanced agreement that will achieve the interests of Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan.

We believe that this call came late after 3 weeks since its launch, which necessitates setting a firm timetable to conduct and finalize talks, in order to prevent it from becoming a new tool for procrastination and shirking from the obligations stipulated in the Declaration of Principles signed by the three countries in 2015.

On the other hand, it is important to note that this invitation was issued on the same day the Ethiopian authorities reaffirmed their intention to move forward in filling the reservoir of GERD without reaching an agreement; a matter which contradicts with Ethiopia's legal obligations contained in the Declaration of Principles, and necessarily casts a shadow on the negotiating track as well as the results that may be reached.

Despite the foregoing, Egypt will take part in this meeting in order to explore whether there is a political will to reach an agreement, and to assure Egypt's goodwill in this regard, in accordance with what has been mentioned in the invitation received from the Sudanese Minister of Irrigation."