Khaberni - Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aaty commented on the Egyptian street's concerns about the collapse of the Renaissance Dam and Ethiopia's failure to manage it, hinting at the possibility of resorting to a military solution in defense of his country's "vital interests."
Abdel Aaty, in a televised statement on "MBC Egypt" Channel on Sunday, stated that Egypt has clearly declared its stance, saying "the issue of water security is existential and cannot be treated lightly or neglected," adding that Cairo's position is clear that "the negotiation path has ended and reached a dead end."
He emphasized that "Egypt has the full right to use the means available in accordance with international law, to defend itself and its water interests should any harm occur."
In response to whether his statement implies a military solution, Abdel Aaty said, "Once again I say, everything that international law permits, states have the right to defend their interests in cases of harm, and Egypt has the full right to defend itself."
Egypt considers any movements concerning the Nile River as an "existential threat," viewing it as "the source of life" in the country, and Cairo has recently escalated its tone after negotiations with Ethiopia reached a dead end after nearly 15 years of "fruitless" negotiations, affirming that it "will not stand idly by in the face of Ethiopia's irresponsible approach."
While Egypt calls for reaching an agreement for the operation of the Renaissance Dam and meeting the needs of the three countries, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt, considering that the Nile is a shared international river, Ethiopia states that the dam is fully under its sovereignty and is located on its territory.
The Egyptian minister then shifted to talk about relations with Saudi Arabia, affirming that they are everlasting relations between the "two wings of the Arab and Islamic nation" and are experiencing growth and prosperity at the political, economic, investment, and cultural levels, in addition to daily consultations on regional and international files of mutual interest.
He referred to the directives of the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to work on developing relations in all areas, adding that the first session of the Supreme Coordinating Council, which is chaired by Sisi and bin Salman, will be held in the upcoming period.
