CAIRO : Irrigation ministers of three key Nile Basin countries were meeting Friday in Sudan’s capital, seeking to resolve differences over Ethiopia’s soon-to-be-finished Blue Nile dam, which Cairo claims threatens its water supply.
According to the spokesman of Egypt’s irrigation ministry, Muhamed El-Sebai, the meeting of the ministers from Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia would last two days.
Egypt fears Ethiopia’s $5 billion project, which is set to be Africa’s largest hydraulic dam, could reduce its share of the Nile River — a lifeline for Egypt’s 100 million people.
Ethiopia has roughly the same population and says the dam will help its economic development. Egypt seeks Sudan’s support in the dispute, as both nations are downriver from the project.
Ethiopia has not revealed how quickly it wants to fill the reservoir created by the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, as the project is called, which would affect the amount of water available for Egypt and Sudan.
The last round of talks held in Cairo last month failed to make any progress and was followed by a verbal feuds between Ethiopian and Egyptian governments. Ethiopia’s foreign ministry released a strongly-worded proposal dismissing Egypt’s proposals on a timetable for filling the reservoir.
Ethiopia’s minister of water and irrigation, Sileshi Bekele, had said that Egypt wants Ethiopia to fill the dam’s reservoir over a longer period of time — seven years — and to release 40 billion cubic meters of water every year.
However, an Egyptian official later told The Associated Press the two countries had agreed the first of five stages for filling the dam should take two years. After these five stages, all the dam’s hydroelectric turbines would be able to operate.
Otherwise, Egypt could lose more than 1 million jobs and $1.8 billion annually, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.
Egypt’s president Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi brought the issue to UN attention while addressing the General Assembly in New York last month.
“While we acknowledge Ethiopia’s right to development, the water of the Nile is a question of life, a matter of existence to Egypt,” El-Sisi said, calling on the international community to “play a constructive role in urging all parties to show flexibility in the pursuit of a solution that satisfies all.”
White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said Thursday that the US supports Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan’s ongoing negotiations to reach a sustainable and mutually beneficial agreement.
“All Nile Valley countries have a right to economic development and prosperity,” Grisham said. “The administration calls on all sides to put forth good faith efforts to reach an agreement that preserves those rights, while simultaneously respecting each other’s Nile water equities.”
New round of talks on Nile waters starts in Sudan’s capital
New round of talks on Nile waters starts in Sudan’s capital
- Egypt fears Ethiopia’s $5 billion project, which is set to be Africa’s largest hydraulic dam, could reduce its share of the Nile River
- The last round of talks held in Cairo last month failed to make any progress and was followed by a verbal feuds between Ethiopian and Egyptian governments
Egypt’s president says Palestinian issue still a priority as Gaza enters second ceasefire phase
DUBAI: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Wednesday reaffirmed that the Palestinian cause is still “at the forefront of priorities” in the Middle East, emphasizing that peace and stability cannot be achieved in the region without a just resolution of the issue.
During his address at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, El-Sisi said resolving the Palestinian cause “forms the essence of the regional stability and a cornerstone to achieve a just and comprehensive peace.”
Shortly after his address to the WEF, Egypt’s foreign ministry said that El-Sisi had accepted an invitation from US President Donald Trump to join his “Board of Peace.”
Egypt “announces its acceptance of the invitation and its commitment to fulfilling the relevant legal and constitutional procedures,” the statement said, praising Trump for his Middle East policies.
“Egypt expresses its support for the Board of Peace’s mission for the second phase of the comprehensive plan to end the conflict in Gaza,” it added.
In Davos Egypt’s president welcomed the launch of the second phase of the ceasefire in Gaza, emphasizing the need to build on the outcomes of the Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit on Oct. 13, 2025. The summit produced the Gaza Ceasefire Agreement, which halted two years of fighting between Israel and Hamas.
El-Sisi praised Trump for his role in securing the ceasefire agreement.
The Egyptian leader called for intensified efforts to ensure a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid, and the acceleration of reconstruction in the war-ravaged enclave.
“Escalating geopolitical tensions and the ambitions of international legitimacy by some parties are undermining the endeavors of economic growth and weakening efforts to preserve international peace and security,” El-Sisi said.
The war in Gaza, he said, has had significant economic repercussions for Egypt. El-Sisi said the conflict has disrupted operations in the Suez Canal, a critical global trade artery, resulting in billions of dollars in losses for the Egyptian economy.
He reiterated Egypt’s longstanding foreign policy doctrine of promoting regional stability and non-interference in the internal affairs of other states. “We are hopeful that our positive role (through the Sharm El-Sheikh Summit) will be pivotal in crystallizing Phase 2 of the peace process in the region,” he said.
Highlighting Egypt’s regional diplomacy, El-Sisi said Cairo has worked since 2014 to help restore state institutions in neighboring Libya, Sudan, Syria and Somalia. “We always wanted Egypt to be a stabilizing force in the region that has suffered from some shocks in the last few years and we have never forgotten our role,” he said.
He also welcomed developments in Lebanon and Syria, expressing hope for “an inclusive and encompassing” Syria that represents all segments of its society.
El-Sisi also encouraged international investment in Egypt, highlighting major economic reforms aimed at attracting the private sector.
He praised his government’s efforts to overhaul infrastructure in Egypt in various sectors including highways, communications, transport, logistics and free zones.
“The economic zone of the Suez Canal stands as a strategic platform for trade and investment,” El-Sisi said during a panel discussion at Davos.
“The investor who chooses to work in Egypt will not only benefit from the promising local market, but will open up to broader markets linked with Egypt by FTAs in both the Arab and world markets,” he said. “Some existing huge markets are readily accessible, and the chances of international expansion are much higher.”
