President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi received a phone call Tuesday evening from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, during which the two addressed British-Egyptian relations as well as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) crisis.
The two leaders discussed trade, investment cooperation, health and security, and efforts to combat terrorism, while also exchanging views on the latest developments in the GERD crisis, official spokesperson for the Presidency Bassam Rady said.
The discussion comes after the UN Security Council held in early July a hearing on the negotiations between Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia, who have failed to reach an agreement for years.
Sisi affirmed Egypt’s firm stance on maintaining its historical rights to the Nile waters and to preserve Egypt’s water security in the meantime and in the future.
He emphasized the need for the international community to push for negotations to proceed with strong political will, in order to reacha comprehensive, just, and legally binding agreement on filling and operating the dam.
Johnson made clear his support for efforts to resume the negotiation process in order to reach a just solution to the issue.
