Back to the negotiating table: Delegations from Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan met yesterday in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa in another attempt to break the deadlock in the long-running dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the Irrigation Ministry s aid yesterday.

This is the second round of talks in less than a month: The three sides met for the first time in two years in Cairo last month in a round of talks that ended without a breakthrough.

Remember: The leaders of Egypt and Ethiopia pledged in July to finalize an agreement within four months on the filling and operation of the USD 4.6 bn hydroelectric dam. Ethiopia has been unilaterally filling the dam’s reservoir for the past three years without an agreement, inflaming tensions between the two countries.

Phase four, complete: Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced earlier this month that the country had completed the fourth and final phase of filling the reservoir of the dam.

The talks are getting attention internationally: AFP | The National.

Shoukry bangs the drum for multilateralism at the UN: The current international system is “incapable” of solving the multiple crises facing the world,Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said in his address to the UN General Assembly yesterday, calling for a reformed world order that addresses the needs of developing countries (watch, runtime: 18:37). Countries in the Global South including Egypt are faced with “cascading and interlocking crises” yet do not receive adequate support from global organizations, he said, accusing major powers of taking unilateral decisions without regard for the rest of the world.

The solution? Shoukry called for fairer global representation in international institutions including by adding two permanent African representatives at the UN Security Council, and expanding tools needed to address chronic economic problems in low- and middle-income countries such as debt relief, concessional loans, and greater access to multilateral lenders.

Shoukry also:

  • Criticized Ethiopia ’s unilateral filling of the GERD without an agreement
  • Highlighted the progress on global climate talks achieved at last year’s COP27 summit;
  • Emphasized Egypt’s efforts to bring about a ceasefire in Sudan ;
  • Reiterated Egypt’s defense of Palestine ’s right to self-determination;
  • Called for all foreign fighters to withdraw from Libya ;
  • Defended Egypt’s human rights record.

Also from the UN General Assembly:

Preparing for COP28: Shoukry, who is currently COP president, and COP President-Elect Sultan Al Jaber chaired a meeting on Friday during the UN General Assembly to discuss funding arrangements for the loss and damage fund, which was established during COP27. Earlier in the week, Shoukry spoke at a meeting addressing climate loss and damage, stressing the pivotal role of international financial institutions in providing funding for developing countries. He also outlined Egypt’s strategies to cut carbon emissions and transition to renewable energy at a separate summit.

New BRICS buddies: Shoukry met with his R ussia n, B razili an, Indian, and So uth African counterparts in separate meetings to discuss strengthening economic and trade relations in light of Eg ypt’s recent invita tion to join the bloc of emerging economies.

And East Med friends: Shoukry met with his Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen on the sidelines of the General Assembly on Thursday to discuss the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum and other areas of economic cooperation, as well as the conflict in the occupied Palestinian territories. Shoukry also met with the Greek and Cypriot foreign ministers to discuss energy, economic and trade ties.

ALSO- The foreign minister met the top diplomats from Yemen and Portugal.

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