Alsharq Tribune- Ahram
Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty and his Sudanese counterpart Youssef Ahmed Al-Sharif affirmed on Monday that the two nations are completely aligned on the existential importance of water security.
This came in the first telephone call between Al-Sharif, the newly appointed Sudanese foreign minister, and Abdelatty, during which the latter congratulated Al-Sharif on his new role, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Ministry. Both FMs exchanged perspectives on several regional issues, reaffirming the importance of water security for Egypt and Sudan as Nile Basin countries. The two ministers reviewed the recent developments in Sudan, with Abdelatty expressing Egypt’s full support for Sudanese institutions. He emphasized respecting Sudan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, affirming that Egypt supports its Sudanese neighbour as it overcomes this watershed period. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced Thursday that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) had been completed, stating that filling has reached 100 percent and enough water has been stored. Egypt and Sudan have frequently highlighted the necessity of reaching a legally binding agreement with Ethiopia on the filling and operation of the dam, a demand that Ethiopia has repeatedly dismissed. Egypt, which mainly relies on the Nile for its water needs, fears that the unilateral and quick filling and operation of the GERD would negatively impact the country's water supply. Meanwhile, Sudan is concerned about regulating water flows to safeguard its dams. Last month, Egypt and Sudan urged all Nile Basin states to restore the integrity of the 1999 Nile Basin Initiative and refrain from unilateral actions that could exacerbate divisions between upstream and downstream countries.
