Trump Says U.S. Working to Resolve GERD Dispute

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Washington is working to help resolve the long-running dispute over Ethiopia's Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), acknowledging Egypt's concerns over the project's impact on its water security.

Speaking during a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in France, Trump said he understood that the dam affects Egypt and described Ethiopia's handling of the issue as unfair to Cairo.

"We are working on resolving the GERD issue," Trump said, adding that he planned to discuss both bilateral trade relations and the Nile dam dispute with the Egyptian president.

In turn, Sisi expressed appreciation for U.S. support for Egypt and praised Trump's efforts to promote stability in the Middle East.

"I thank President Trump for his role in restoring stability in the Middle East," Sisi said during the meeting.

The GERD, built by Ethiopia on the Blue Nile, has remained a source of tension between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan for more than a decade. Cairo argues that the dam poses a threat to its water security and could affect its share of Nile waters, while Addis Ababa maintains that the project is essential for development and electricity generation.

In September last year, Ethiopia officially announced the completion of the dam and the start of full-scale operations. Egypt and Sudan criticized the move as a unilateral step undertaken without a legally binding agreement governing the filling and operation of the reservoir.

Negotiations among the three countries have repeatedly stalled since construction began in 2011, despite mediation efforts by regional and international actors.

The dam, which has a storage capacity of 74 billion cubic meters, is Africa's largest hydroelectric project and a centerpiece of Ethiopia's economic development strategy.

Earlier this year, Trump renewed his offer to help mediate the dispute, warning that the unresolved disagreement could heighten regional tensions if a negotiated solution is not reached.

The meeting between Trump and Sisi took place as leaders gathered at the G7 summit to discuss a range of global economic and security challenges, including developments in the Middle East, energy security and international trade.