Foreign Minister attends Arab meeting on Renaissance Dam

Manama, June 23 (BNA): Foreign Minister Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani participated today via virtual communication in Arab League Council’s session on the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Chaired by the Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs in the Sultanate of Oman, Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, the virtual session was also attended by Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit. Addressing the remote session, he said that the issue of the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam represents a major challenge to the Arab water security, that is considered one of the essentials of the Arab national security. He urged unity and support to the Egyptian efforts aimed at achieving peace, security and stability in East Africa for the benefit, prosperity and progress of the people of the region. He underlined the risks and potential impact of operating the Renaissance Dam without reaching a fair and balanced agreement with Ethiopia on the rules for filling the dam. He stressed the necessity of preserving the historical rights in the estuaries of international conventions, to protect the interests of all parties, maintain security and stability and ensure the safety of urban populations. Dr. Al Zayani affirmed Bahrain's rejection of any violation of the historical rights of Egypt and Sudan in the waters of the Nile River, and urged Arab Arab solidarity against this challenge, which affects Egypt and Sudan. The council issued a resolution affirming that the water security of both Egypt and Sudan is an integral part of Arab national security, and rejecting any action that affects the rights of all parties in the waters of the Nile. It expressed appreciation for the initiative of Sudan to call for negotiations from 25 May to 17 June 2020, to reach an agreement on the rules for filling and operating the Renaissance Dam. It welcomed the UN Secretary-General’s call urging the three countries to reach a joint agreement through the negotiations, and stressing his support to Sudan's efforts in this regard. The Council also expressed grave concern about the stalled negotiations between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia, and stressed the need to resume negotiations in good faith in order to reach a fair agreement that takes into account the interests of all parties. The statement stressed the need for all parties to refrain from taking any unilateral measures, including Ethiopia's refusal to start filling the reservoir of the Renaissance Dam without reaching an agreement with the two downstream countries on the rules for filling and operating the dam, as this measure represents a clear violation of the Declaration of Principles Agreement concluded between the three countries in Khartoum on March 23, 2015. The decision affirmed the necessity of the three countries to adhere to the principles of international law, the principle of commitment not to cause serious harm, the principle of reasonable and fair use of international watercourses.