ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopian Foreign Minister Tedros Adhanom has expressed his willingness to negotiate with Egypt to resolve the dispute over the Nile. Adhanom made his remarks on Sunday, during a trip to Algeria, saying, "There is no reason that we cannot reach an agreement that benefits all Nile countries." Ethiopian foreign minister, in a joint press conference with his Algerian counterpart Mourad Medelci, emphasized on Ethiopia's commitment to tackle the problem through dialogue. He went on to say that the "international mediation" would not be ruled out if the talks fail. A leading governmental official told Bikyanews.com that the East African country had no desire to see violence or war erupt over the construction of the dam and repeated that Ethiopia wanted to discuss the future of water rights along the Nile River with their Egyptian counterparts in order to end the political impasse. "It is time for change in this part of the world and we can no longer rely on treaties made during colonialism. We are ready to work with the Egyptians in order to create something better and positive for all people," a foreign ministry official told Bikyanews.com. Ethiopia's Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn has called for prioritizing cooperation with Egypt in order to achieve the best interest of both countries. Desalegn reaffirmed his cabinet's commitment to cooperate regarding the Nile issue as long as Egypt recognizes Ethiopia's fair share of the Nile water, the Middle East News Agency reported. The Ethiopian parliament ratified a treaty stripping Egypt of its right to the lion's share of the Nile water earlier this month. Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi said he does not want war but will leave all options open. This step prompted Ethiopia to declare it is ready to defend the $4.7 billion Renaissance Dam. Six Nile Basin countries including Ethiopia have signed the treaty ending Egypt's right to object to building dams along the Nile River. BN
