Egypt looks to Europe to help solve Renaissance Dam crisis
Egypt and Germany have recently signed a cooperation agreement to fight illegal immigration to Europe, with Cairo hoping such a deal would garner European support regarding its dispute with Ethiopia over the Renaissance Dam.
CAIRO — Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry announced Aug. 27 during a press conference in Berlin with his German counterpart Sigmar Gabriel that Egypt had signed a cooperation agreement with Germany to combat and prevent illegal immigration.
During the conference, Shoukry said that Egypt expects Germany to actively support it to overcome the challenges to this effect, adding that he and Gabriel touched upon the German and European Union stances vis-a-vis the issue of the Nile waters.
Gabriel expressed great understanding of the Egyptian position, noting that the “Nile is the heart of Egypt and this issue is existential for the country.” He stressed that his country is ready to mediate between the Nile Basin countries.
There is an ongoing disagreement between Egypt and Sudan on the one hand and Ethiopia on the other, since the latter has started to build the Renaissance Dam for clean energy generation. Egypt and Sudan are opposed to the technical studies related to the dam, as they believe the dam would affect the river’s water shares of each country.
