Egypt stated that the latest round of talks regarding the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam concluded without reaching any results, adding that it will closely monitor the filling and operation of the dam. The Egyptian Ministry of Irrigation said in a statement yesterday, "Egypt retains its right, as stipulated in international treaties and agreements, to defend its water and national security if harmed." The Ethiopian Foreign Ministry, in a statement, indicated that Cairo "distorted" Addis Ababa's positions during the negotiations, adding that Egypt still possesses a "colonial mentality" and placed barriers to rapprochement efforts.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed expressed their hopes in July to reach a final agreement regarding the contentious dam between the two countries within four months. Past intermittent discussions over the years have failed to yield an agreement. Egypt has long opposed the project due to concerns over its future water supply from the Nile River, upon which it heavily relies. Sudan has also expressed concerns about the organization and safety of its water supply and its own dams.
Ethiopia, which claims to be exercising its right to economic development, announced in September that it completed the final phase of filling a reservoir for a massive hydroelectric power station at the dam located on the Blue Nile. The Egyptian Ministry of Irrigation's statement noted, "The meeting did not yield any results due to the continuation of the same Ethiopian positions over the past years, which reject any of the middle technical and legal solutions that would secure the interests of the three countries." However, Ethiopia stated that Egypt is unwilling to make concessions. The Ethiopian Foreign Ministry's statement affirmed, "Ethiopia remains committed to reaching an amicable resolution through negotiations that meet the interests of the three countries and looks forward to resuming talks."
