Egypt has clarified its position on resuming negotiations regarding the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, following statements by US President Donald Trump about Washington's keenness to help reach a solution to the crisis.
Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sweilem revealed that Cairo officially halted negotiations on the Renaissance Dam since December 2023, accusing Ethiopia of continuing to evade and renege on understandings and not adhering to the rules of international law.
During a phone interview with the program "Al-Hikaya" presented by journalist Amr Adib, Sweilem said that the decision to halt negotiations came as a "state decision," explaining that Egypt no longer saw any point in continuing a negotiation process that had not achieved any progress.
He added that the Ethiopian side "was backtracking on everything that was agreed upon and was practicing evasion," which prompted Cairo to halt negotiations after it became clear that there was nothing to build upon.
Regarding the American move, the Minister of Irrigation explained that the United States is showing "good faith" and is seeking to bring the views of Cairo and Addis Ababa closer, following the statements of US President Donald Trump during his meeting with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi regarding working to find a solution to the crisis.
Sweilem stressed that "there are no negotiations at the moment," emphasizing that Egypt will not enter any new round of negotiations except within the framework of clear national parameters and constants, based on the previous experience with Ethiopia, and in a way that guarantees the protection of Egyptian water rights.
In a related context, the Minister of Irrigation sent reassuring messages regarding the water situation in the country, stressing that the water stock in Lake Nasser is "very reassuring" and that the state is managing the stock with the utmost efficiency, so that no cubic meter of water is released except to achieve maximum benefit from it in generating electricity or meeting water needs.
He pointed out that Egypt’s share of the Nile waters remains fixed at 55.5 billion cubic meters annually, despite the population increasing to about 120 million people, which has led to a decline in the per capita share from more than two thousand cubic meters annually in the 1960s to less than 500 cubic meters currently, a level that is less than the global water poverty line of one thousand cubic meters per person annually.
He stressed that the state has intensified its investments in the water sector over the past twelve years, through the implementation of projects to reuse water and raise the efficiency of the irrigation system, in order to ensure the provision of water for domestic uses and national agricultural projects.
Sweilem also denied the validity of what is being said about the Ethiopian plateau being exposed to a wave of drought during the current season, stressing that the rainfall rates recorded so far are higher than average, and that what is being said about the existence of a drought is not based on correct data.
The Egyptian position comes at a time when the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) file is witnessing renewed international interest, following Trump’s statements regarding his readiness to help resolve the crisis, while Cairo insists on the necessity of reaching a legally binding agreement that regulates the rules for filling and operating the dam, in a way that preserves the rights of the downstream countries and ensures that their water security is not harmed.
