The United Arab Emirates (UAE) called on Wednesday for the continuation of the diplomatic dialogue to end disagreements over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). The UAE foreign affairs and international cooperation ministry stated it is extremely keen that the constructive diplomatic dialogue and fruitful talks continue to overcome differences over GERD between Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia. The Gulf country stressed the importance to work through related international laws to reach consensus and preserve the rights of the three countries and their water security to achieve stability and sustainable development. The UAE has invited the foreign ministers of Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia to Abu Dhabi last week to resume talks that reached deadlock in January. The Emirates is engaged in mediation between Sudan and Ethiopia over border tension issues. The UAE statement comes a day after Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi talked about the GERD issue at a press conference at the Suez Canal on Tuesday. "A compromise to Egypt's water share is a red line, and our response [if our water share is affected] will affect the stability of the whole region," El-Sisi had told reporters in comments over the continued deadlock in negotiations with Ethiopia over the GERD. "No one can take a drop of water from Egypt," El-Sisi said, adding that "If it happens, there will be inconceivable instability in the region that no one could imagine." Kuwait's foreign ministry also issued a statement on Wednesday in support of both Egypt and Sudan in preserving their water share in the Nile. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Oman announced their support of Egypt and Sudan's efforts to protect their shares in the Nile River's water, stressing that their water security is integral to the Arab region's security. Egypt and Sudan are demanding that Ethiopia sign a legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of the GERD before it starts its second filling in July. Ethiopia said it will proceed with the second filling whether it reaches an agreement with the two downstream countries or not.
