By Bisola Adeyemo
The Egyptian State is ready for holding serious negotiations on Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) to reach the agreement.
Egypt announced this after stopping Ethiopia from filling the dam not without a legally binding agreement.
Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Dr Mohamed Abdel Aati stated this at a press conference on Monday with Chairman of the Supreme Council for Media Regulation (SCMR), Karam Gabr in attendance, saying there are international contacts, but they do not reach up to our aspirations.
The dispute over the GERD is part of a long-standing feud between Egypt and Sudan—the downstream states—on the one hand, and Ethiopia and the upstream riparians on the other over access to the Nile’s waters, which are considered a lifeline for millions of people living in Egypt and Sudan.
A galaxy of editors-in-chief, board chairmen of newspapers and a number of media people and reporters were present.
He asserted Egypt’s constants are clear enough, which call for reaching a binding, legal and just agreement on the filling and operation of the Dam.
Abdel Aati affirmed the State will not allow for a water crisis in the country.