In statements reported by Al-Qahira News Channel, he confirmed that Cairo will take all legitimate measures under international law to ensure the protection of its water security. He had stated at the end of last month that the issue of water is Egypt’s primary existential issue, noting that it is not impossible to solve if there is political will and good faith on the Ethiopian side. However, 13 years of negotiations have proven the absence of such will.
Abdel Aaty rejected Ethiopia’s recent invitation to Egypt and Sudan to attend the inauguration, describing it as ‘absurd’. He affirmed that the dam was built with unilateral actions that violate international law, without regard for the rights of downstream countries, and without adherence to prior notification or technical and safety standards.
Regarding Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s remarks about readiness to negotiate, Abdel Aaty emphasized that ‘words must be translated into actions’. Abdel Aaty also welcomed the statements of US President Donald Trump and his role in various international crises, including the Renaissance Dam crisis, noting that ‘Egypt was on the verge of reaching a fair agreement in 2019 under the sponsorship of the World Bank and the US Treasury Department, but the Ethiopian side unexpectedly withdrew’.
Abdel Aaty stated in his press remarks that ‘the problem is not limited to the Renaissance Dam alone, but also includes any future projects that affect Egypt’s water interests,’ stressing Cairo’s outright rejection of any additional dams unless built on a binding legal agreement.
He said, ‘We will not mortgage the future of 110 million Egyptians and 10 million refugees to promises or statements, and we will confront any unilateral actions with decisiveness and strength according to international law’. An official ceremony is being prepared for September to mark the inauguration of the Renaissance Dam, following Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s announcement earlier in July about the dam’s completion by the end of this summer.
