The EU spokesperson’s for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Nabila Massrali said on Friday that unilateral measures on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) by any party will not help in finding a solution, and called on a roadmap to help resolve the dispute.
There is an urgent need for a clear and jointly agreed plan of action that will lead to an eventual agreement, while also setting the time frame and specific objectives to resume negotiations at the earliest time.
The European Union renews its call to all parties to resume negotiations, and the Union is ready to play a more active role provided it is what all parties desire, Massrali said.
On Monday, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed congratulated his people on the completion of the second filling of the Renaissance Dam reservoir.
Ahmed published new pictures of the dam on Twitter, after the second filling was complete.
Cairo and Khartoum strongly objected the second filling in the absence of a binding legal agreement between the three countries, who have been negotiating the issue for years.
Addis Ababa carried out the first filling of GERD in July 2020, according to what Ahmed’s office announced at the time.
Members of the UN Security Council called on the three countries on July 8 to resume negotiations in order to reach a legal agreement on the dam, which Addis Ababa refuses to sign.
Negotiations over the dam between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan have stalled for years, with the three parties ultimately failing to reach any agreements.
Egypt and Sudan fear the impact of the dam on the downstream countries, including possible blows to water facilities, agricultural land, and overall availability of Nile water.
The disputed dam is the largest hydroelectric project in Africa, with a cost of more than US$4 billion.
