Nile Dam dispute still stalled following US, GCC+3 summit in Jeddah
Although the leaders of Arab and Gulf countries, as well as the United States, expressed support for a diplomatic solution to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, many don’t believe this statement will revive the negotiations or push Ethiopia to end its unilateral measures.
CAIRO — The summit in Jeddah on July 16 between the leaders of the Arab Gulf states, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq and the United States touched on several major issues in the region, including the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
The summit ended with a joint call for a diplomatic solution, while stressing the support for Egypt’s water security.
During US-Arab talks before US President Joe Biden’s visit to the Middle East, Cairo worked to mobilize pressure on Ethiopia to accept a binding agreement regulating the GERD.
During his meeting with Biden in Jeddah on July 16, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stressed the need “to reach a binding legal agreement for the process of filling and operating the dam, in a way that preserves Egyptian water security and achieves common interests.”
