Egyptian President and Ethiopian Prime Minister meet in Sochi
Cairo, Egypt (PANA) - Egyptian President Abdelfattah Al-Sissi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed met on Thursday in Sochi, Russia, on the sidelines of the Russian-African Summit, Egyptian television reported, citing the spokesperson for the Egyptian presidency, Bessam Ridha.
He gave no details on the talks, but the crisis between Egypt and Ethiopia, which has worsened in recent days on the issue of the Renaissance Dam being built by Ethiopia, was probably at the centre of this meeting.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Egypt said it was "shocked" by a statement by the Ethiopian Prime Minister and Nobel laureate Abiy Ahmed that "if there is a need to go to war" over the construction of the controversial Renaissance Dam, "we could get millions readied".
The statement issued by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said said the Ethiopian Prime Minister's statement "contained negative clues and unacceptable allusions to the handling of the Renaissance Dam case".
"Egypt is following these statements with deep concern and regret," the Egyptian Foreign Ministry added, expressing "surprise" at the comments, which "should not address military choices, which is contrary to the texts and the spirit of the fundamental right of the African Union".
Abiy said his country is determined to finish the dam project, which was initiated by former leaders, "because it's an excellent one".
"Some say things about use of force (by Egypt). It should be underlined that no force could stop Ethiopia from building a dam," Abiy said.
"If there is a need to go to war, we could get millions readied. If some could fire a missile, others could use bombs. But that's not in the best interest of all of us," he added.
In early October, the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, hosted meetings of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Water Resources of Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia, on the issue but failed to reach an agreement.
-0- PANA YY/IN/JSG/BBA/MA 24Oct2019
