At the end of a round of negotiations between the delegations of Cairo, Khartoum, and Addis Ababa regarding the Renaissance Dam, Egypt spoke of an Ethiopian retreat from agreements reached in previous rounds.

A final round of marathon negotiations began in Ethiopia yesterday, Saturday, and concluded today, Sunday, without reaching significant progress, according to the Egyptian vision.

For years, the two downstream countries (Egypt and Sudan) have been negotiating with Ethiopia (the upstream country) regarding a dam that the latter is building on the Blue Nile, and Cairo fears its effects on its historical share in the Nile waters.

Ethiopia says that the dam will not affect the two downstream countries, pointing out that the huge project would drive the country’s development engine.

The spokesman for the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, Mohamed Ghanem, said, “The completed negotiating round did not result in significant progress, as it witnessed Ethiopia’s tendency to back away from a number of agreements previously reached between the three countries within the framework of the negotiating process.”

He also referred to what he said was “(Ethiopia’s) continued refusal to adopt any of the proposed compromise solutions, as well as the internationally agreed upon technical arrangements that would meet Ethiopian interests in connection with the Renaissance Dam without violating the rights and interests of the two downstream countries.”

He added that the Egyptian negotiating delegation continues to negotiate seriously based on clear specifications. It consists of reaching a legally binding agreement on the rules for filling and operating the Renaissance Dam, in a way that preserves Egypt’s national interests, protects its water security and water uses, and at the same time achieves the interests of the three countries, including the declared Ethiopian interests.

Egypt relies entirely on water imports coming from the Blue Nile, which represents 80% of its share of Nile water.

The spokesman said in a statement seen by Al Ain News, “It has become necessary to display the political will and seriousness necessary to reach, without delay, a binding legal agreement on the rules for filling and operating the Renaissance Dam, within the time frame agreed upon between the three countries based on On the meeting of the leadership of Egypt and Ethiopia on July 13 last.

At the same time, he stressed the existence of many technical and legal solutions that would reach without delay the desired agreement that takes into account the interests of the various parties.

Ethiopia has always downplayed Egyptian fears, stressing that the dam is in the interests of both Cairo and Khartoum.

There was no immediate comment from the Ethiopian side regarding the Egyptian statement.