Egypt, UK agree to enhance coordination on Ethiopia’s dam

The British Embassy in Cairo announced yesterday that Egypt and the UK have agreed to enhance coordination on a number of regional issues including Ethiopia’s Renaissance Dam.

The embassy said in a statement that the UK’s First Secretary of State Dominic Raab on Monday spoke with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry and welcomed the Egyptian efforts to support an inclusive solution in Libya under the auspices of the United Nations.

According to the statement, the two ministers also discussed means for both countries to continue working together to tackle the global coronavirus pandemic.

“The two ministers also agreed on the importance of enhancing coordination on other regional issues, including the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam”, it continued.

Sudan minister: Safety of Renaissance Dam better than Sudan, Egypt dams

Earlier on Monday, Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, announced that his country intends to complete work at the Renaissance dam despite the stalled negotiations with neighbouring countries.

Cairo fears the dam would negatively affect its annual share of the Nile’s water. However, Addis Ababa says the dam aims to generate electricity for local use and is not intended to negatively impact any of its neighbours.