Egypt backs Greece against attempt to breach its sovereignty, insists president 

Egypt stands with Greece against any attempts to breach its sovereignty, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi said yesterday.

“The maritime demarcation agreement between Egypt and Greece is a role model, it is a peace and cooperation agreement in the Middle East, I wish this agreement is extended to other countries,” Al-Sisi added during his meeting with the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

This comes in an apparent reference to moves taken by Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean where it has begun oil exploration efforts, in what Egypt says show Anakara continuing to take unilateral measures that exacerbate tension.”

“I have reassured the Greek premier about Egypt’s constant stance on the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean and which is based on the necessity for all nations to respect international law and the UN charter,” Al-Sisi stressed.

Meanwhile, the Greek official said Athens supports Cairo’s position in the Ethiopia dam crisis. “We support Egypt in its stance on the GERD issue, and the Nile River’s water is a matter of life,” he explained during a press conference in Cairo.

READ: Greek FM on Middle East tour to ‘prevent further violence’

 Ethiopia is building a $5 billion dam near the border with Sudan it says will provide the country with much-needed electricity and economic regeneration. Egypt believes it will restrict its access to Nile waters.

Egypt is almost entirely dependent on Nile water, receiving around 55.5 million cubic metres a year from the river, and believes that filling the dam will affect the water it needs for drinking, agriculture, and electricity.

Cairo wants Ethiopia to guarantee Egypt will receive 40 billion cubic metres or more of water from the Nile. Ethiopian Irrigation Minister Seleshi Bekele said Egypt has abandoned this demand, but Egypt insists it hasn’t and issued a statement to this effect.

There is also an unresolved issue over how fast the dam will be filled, with Egypt fearing if it is filled too quickly, it could affect the electricity generated by the Aswan High Dam.