The Ethiopian Foreign Ministry said in its statement on the 4th round of trilateral negotiation on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on Tuesday that Cairo “maintained colonial era mentality and erected roadblocks against efforts towards convergence.”
Ethiopia perceives Egypt as unwilling to compromise. Despite this, Ethiopia affirms its dedication to achieving a mutually beneficial resolution for all three nations involved and is eager to continue the negotiations.
The Egyptian Ministry of Irrigation expressed in a statement on Tuesday that the meeting was unproductive due to Ethiopia’s persistent refusal over the years to accept any compromise on technical and legal solutions that would safeguard the interests of the three countries.
The statement declared that Egypt, under the protection of international treaties and agreements, reserves its right to protect its water resources and national security should they be threatened.
Throughout the years, periodic negotiations have been unable to establish a resolution.
Egypt has consistently resisted the initiative, worried about the impact on its future water supply from the Nile River, which it heavily depends on.
Sudan, which has been embroiled in conflict for several months, has also voiced apprehensions about the management and security of its water resources and dams.
