Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry held a phone call, on Monday, with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh, to discuss developments on the Ethiopian dam issue.
The phone meeting comes on the sidelines of Shoukry’s ongoing visit to New York, in order to participate in the United Nations (UN) Security Council session on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
Ahmed Hafez, spokesperson for Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that during the call, Shoukry reviewed the firm Egyptian position on the GERD issue. This is based on the need to reach a binding legal agreement on filling and operating the dam.
This would achieve the interests of the three countries involved in the dispute, namely Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia, and take into account the concerns of the two downstream countries.
Shoukry expressed Egypt’s hope that Vietnam, a current member of the UN Security Council, would understand these concerns, as it is also a downstream country.
In previous statements, Shoukry said that Egypt is currently focusing its efforts on the session that the Security Council will hold next Thursday, and the potential outcomes of the meeting. He pointed to communication with international and strategic partners to ensure the protection of Egyptian interests.
Shoukry said that Egypt expects additional effort from the UN Security Council to push the parties to resume GERD negotiations, noting that the country is working to achieve its interests.
