Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed with his Estonian counterpart Urmas Reinsalu the latest regional developments, including the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) talks and the coronavirus pandemic, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
During a Wednesday phone conversation between the two sides, Shoukry referred to the letter Egypt had sent recently to the Security Council regarding the developments of the GERD dispute and negotiations.
In the letter, Egypt revealed that the Ethiopian prime minister sent a letter to the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and Prime Minister of Sudan on 10 April about its plan for the first stage of the filling of GERD. The plan was not shared with Egypt or Sudan before execution. On 15 April, Egypt’s President sent a message to the Ethiopian premier stating Egypt’s unwavering commitment to concluding beneficial agreement on GERD, reaffirming that the 2015 Declaration of Principles obliges the three countries to work towards a comprehensive agreement to regulate both the filing and operation of the dam.
The letter sent to the Security Council called on the international community to advise Ethiopia to respect its international legal obligations to the 2015 Declaration of Principles and to reconsider its position on the filing and operation of the dam.
On the other hand, Shoukry stressed Egypt’s desire to develop and strengthen cooperation with the Estonian side in various sectors, especially with regard to deepening economic and commercial cooperation in the interests of the two countries.
The phone call also touched on efforts to combat the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, and both sides agreed on exchanging experiences on the virus fight.
The Estonian Minister expressed his aspiration for close cooperation with Egypt within the framework of Estonia’s membership in the Security Council and presidency of the Council in May to support international peace and security. He stressed Estonia’s readiness to raise issues of common concern during the deliberations of the Security Council.
