Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry stated that his country is not surprised by the United Nations Security Council's position regarding the Ethiopian Grand Renaissance Dam crisis. Shoukry's remarks are the first from an Egyptian official concerning comments made by the Council’s President, Nicolas de Rivière, and France's ambassador to the UN last Thursday, who stated that "the council does not have much it can do" regarding the Renaissance Dam crisis. De Rivière mentioned in statements to reporters on Thursday that the council can only call on the parties involved to engage in negotiations. A session of the council regarding the Renaissance Dam is expected to take place next Thursday.
In a phone interview on the Cairo and People program aired on Saturday, Shoukry noted that de Rivière's comments on resuming negotiations among Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia reflect the stance of the French permanent representative, and that this comment did not fully consider coordination with France. Shoukry confirmed that a stronger position from the council was anticipated in terms of urging the parties to resume negotiations, pointing out that the agreement to hold a Security Council session came after extensive efforts and communications.
Shoukry also remarked that "the Security Council's position on the Renaissance Dam issue is not surprising, and they have been working towards this outcome for two months. The results of the Security Council's session on Thursday will relate to relations and coordination with member states." Following stalled negotiations and discussions about the second filling of the dam, it was deemed necessary to work through communications with the Security Council to convene a second session.
In a statement released on Saturday, the Sudanese government welcomed the Security Council President's response to Sudan's request for a session to discuss the dispute over the Renaissance Dam. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry conveyed a message to the Security Council reaffirming his country's support for Sudan's call for an emergency session, stating that "the situation poses an imminent threat to international peace and security, requiring the council's immediate attention... The matter has developed into a situation that, as stated in Article 34 of the UN Charter, could lead to international friction that threatens the continuity of international peace and security."
