Egypt (Kaab TV) – Egypt has dismissed reports suggesting it is prepared to help Ethiopia gain access to the Red Sea as part of a deal to ease tensions over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a project that has fueled long-standing disputes between the two countries.
In a statement released Tuesday by Egypt’s official news agency, an unnamed government official described the reports as “baseless” and “without foundation,” emphasizing that Egypt’s position on water security and the GERD remains unchanged.
The official reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to safeguarding the water rights of all Nile River countries and rejecting any unilateral actions that could compromise these rights.
Egypt also underscored that the management and security of the Red Sea are the exclusive responsibility of its coastal states, noting that the waterway is a strategic maritime route directly tied to their national security. The statement implicitly dismissed the notion of Ethiopia’s involvement, given its landlocked status.
Additionally, Egypt confirmed its willingness to participate in a new round of GERD talks, scheduled to take place in Addis Ababa.
Despite ongoing tensions between Egypt and Sudan on one side and Ethiopia on the other, the negotiations aim to resolve the deadlock over the dam’s filling and operation, which has frequently stalled diplomatic progress in recent years.
Egypt and Sudan have called for a legally binding agreement on the dam’s operation to ensure water security, while Ethiopia maintains that the project will not harm downstream countries—a position that has contributed to repeated delays in negotiations.