Presidents Burhan and Sisi Stress Necessity of Return to Serious Negotiations on Renaissance Dam

Khartoum,  (SUNA) – The President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council, Lt. Gen. Abdul-Fattah Al-Burhan, and the President of Egypt, Abdul-Fattah Al-Sisi, have affirmed At the end of their talks in Khartoum on Saturday the necessity of return to serious and effective negotiations regarding the Ethiopian Grand Renaissance Dam, because it is a file that concerns the vital interests of Sudan and Egypt, as they are the two downstream countries in the Nile Basin, and that they will be directly affected by this tremendous project.

In a press statement after the sitting of joint talks between the Sudanese and Egyptian sides, the Egyptian President said that the meeting dealt with the developments on the Renaissance Dam file, stating that Sudan and Egypt have agreed on the importance of continuing close coordination and consultation between the two countries in this regard.

Al-Sisi stressed the necessity of return to serious and effective negotiations with the aim to reaching a fair, balanced and legally binding agreement as soon as possible before the next floods season regarding the filling of the dam and in a manner that realizes the interests of the three countries and strengthens the bonds of cooperation and integration between the three countries and peoples.

He said that the Egyptian and Sudanese parties have shared identical views on the rejection of any approach to to impose a fait accompli and to spread control on the Blue Nile through unilateral measures that do not take into account the interests and rights of the two downstream countries, referring to the move of the Ethiopian information which is directed to implementation of the second stage of the dam’s filling even if Ethiopian did not reach an agreement with the intention on the filling and operation.

President Al-Sisi pointed out that this measure would cause severe damage to the interests of Sudan and Egypt, therefore the Sudanese and Egyptian sides discussed the track of the negotiations through formation of an international quartet committee that includes the African Union, the United States, the European Union and the United Nations to mediate in the negotiation process, as proposed by Sudan and supported by Egypt.

He said that Sudan and Egypt have assured their full confidence on the efforts of the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo for enhancing the chances of success for the negotiation process and his ability to manage these negotiations to achieve a breakthrough for reaching the desired agreement.