Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has praised the stance of the Security Council member states on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

Speaking to ON E TV channel, he explained on Saturday that the Security Council members stressed the need to reach a binding agreement within a specified timetable during a session held on Thursday to discuss the GERD crisis.

The minister stressed that it was important to go to the Security Council to discuss the issue to hold it responsible to prevent any negative developments on this score. 

He explained that the council held two sessions in two years respectively on the GERD session to discuss the crisis.

The top diplomat underscored that the council’s members also unanimously agreed on the necessity of reaching a binding agreement through the African mediation. 

Shoukry stressed that the Security Council members adopted a stance on the need to reach this binding agreement and hold all relevant parties responsible, particularly the Ethiopian side that rejects negotiations. 

He noted that Egypt’s move to bring the issue to the Security Council helped clarify Cairo’s vision to the international community within a framework that documented the 10-year negotiations on this score. 

The minister praised the speech delivered by Sudan before the council, noting that the bill submitted by Tunisia included Egypt-Sudan proposals to resume negotiations and enhance the role of observers on this score.

The foreign minister anew stressed that no one could claim that the UNSC is not concerned with the issue because it is not only a water issue, but it is also a peace and security issue. 

Regarding the Ethiopian irrigation minister's speech, Shoukry pointed out that most of the statement repeated claims that Ethiopia signed earlier agreements on the Nile River under colonialism.

"Ethiopia was never a colony and inked the agreements with its own free will, while Egypt was a colony," Shoukry said. 

He stressed Egypt's and Sudan's keenness on development in Ethiopia, calling for resuming negotiations with the participation of the US, EU, UN, and South Africa with a time-frame. 

Egypt deals with any developments and is ready for any positive initiative, he added.

MENA