Addis Ababa February 12/2022 /ENA/ Egypt should encourage Ethiopia to finish building the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) quickly because it would serve Egypt as a lifeline and a water bank in drought seasons, taking their own request and account, State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Redwan Hussien said.
“We told Sudan that we are ready to exchange data regularly to meet their concerns for the security of their smaller dams, but their position now serves the interests of a third party than that of the Sudanese people,” Ambassador Redwan added.
The State Minister made the remarks during an interview he has had with Al Arabiya, an Arabic-language satellite television channel based in Dubai.
The State Minister said Sudan and Egypt should not hold on to their stance because Ethiopians cannot wait indefinitely, expecting the green light to utilize their resources.
Ethiopia provided more opportunities for Egypt and Sudan to benefit from the dam, notwithstanding their failure to appreciate it, according to Redwan.
He said Ethiopia must now use its resources, causing no significant harm to downstream states. The dam is a beckon of regional cooperation and integration than an issue of bickering, he added.
Regarding the recent political situation in Sudan, Ambassador Redwan said all parties must realize that Sudan comes first, and the interest of the Sudanese stands above all appeals.
If parties act calmly and rationally by putting the interest of the Sudanese people above everything else, he said they would find a way to overcome their differences.
Asked if there is any Ethiopian initiative to resolve the Sudanese crisis, the State Minister said the Sudanese people have the wisdom to solve their problems without external intervention.
Redwan noted that military power would not give a lasting solution to the border conflict between Ethiopia and Sudan, necessitating genuine proposals on the table as Ethiopia did.
Speaking on aid access to Tigray, he said the government of Ethiopia did everything it could and cooperated with humanitarian operators to ensure unfettered access into the region.
However, the rebels chose to obstruct the delivery of humanitarian aid to advance their political agenda, he added.
On foreign hands meddling in the conflict in Ethiopia, the State Minister said, the government knows that many have interests to weaken Ethiopia.
Many of these interventions are manifested through attempts to downplay and discourage even the positive deeds of the Ethiopian government, he stated.
