Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa discussed in Sharm El-Sheikh on Thursday the latest developments regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) following a UN Security Council presidential statement urging resuming talks, the Egyptian presidency said. According to the Egyptian presidency, King Al-Khalifa of Bahrain reiterated his country's support and solidarity with Egypt and Sudan including all efforts to safeguard their legitimate rights and water security in the Nile River as well as all efforts to establish a fair and legally binding agreement concerning the filling and operation policies of the dam in a way that prevents harm and benefit all parties involved in accordance with the rules of the international law. On Wednesday, the UNSC issued a presidential statement urging Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia to continue the African Union-sponsored talks on the GERD, stressing the need to reach a mutually acceptable binding agreement on the filling and operation of the dam within a reasonable time frame. Aside from the GERD, the Egyptian president and Bahraini king held talks on bilateral cooperation between the two countries, especially in the economic and investment fields. The two leaders also discussed the latest regional developments, especially in Libya and Afghanistan, in addition to joint efforts to address the repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic. During their talks, El-Sisi and Al-Khalifa agreed to boost Egyptian-Bahraini cooperation and coordination in a way that helps protect Arab national security and boosts their capabilities in the face of challenges and threats in the region. According to the Egyptian presidency, El-Sisi stressed Egypt's commitment to the security of the gulf region, rejecting any attempt to destabilize it. The two leaders also talked about developments in the Middle East peace process between Israelis and Palestinians; the Bahraini King praised recent Egyptian efforts to cement the ceasefire deal and the Egyptian initiative to rebuild Gaza. Both King Al-Khalifa and President El-Sisi also agreed in their talks on the necessity of intensifying international efforts to revive the peace process and to resume negotiations in order to reach a settlement for the Palestinian crisis based on international laws and resolutions.
