Ethiopia “does not have a legal obligation to seek the approval of Egypt” to begin filling the controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and has made “a remarkable and generous gesture in offering an agreement to Egypt,” the African country said in a 22-page letter to the UN Security Council, according to Ahram Online. This came after Ethiopia proposed an early agreement to move ahead with the first phase of filling the dam that was rejected by Egypt and Sudan for omitting key points of dispute over the timeline and long-term operation. The letter was also a response to an earlier Egyptian complaint to the UN. Ethiopia has repeatedly stated that it will begin filling the dam in July without committing to a formal agreement to resolve the dispute, and earlier this year walked away from US-backed talks.

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