Egypt reaffirms rejection of unilateral Nile River measures, seeks water cooperation with Japan
via Egypt Today2 min read
Egypt has reiterated its opposition to unilateral actions concerning transboundary rivers, including the Nile, while expressing a desire to enhance water management cooperation with Japan. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met with Yoko Kamikawa, Special Envoy of the Japanese Prime Minister to the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, on Wednesday. Abdelatty outlined Egypt's water scarcity challenges and its national water resources management strategy, which focuses on improving water use efficiency, expanding treatment and reuse, and modernizing irrigation systems. He welcomed Japan's expertise and technological solutions in these areas. Abdelatty emphasized the importance of cooperation in managing transboundary rivers, stressing the need for prior notification and avoiding harm to downstream states, in line with international law. These remarks come amidst an ongoing dispute between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam GERD on the Blue Nile. Egypt has consistently raised concerns that the dam's filling and operation could impact its water supply, with negotiations among the three nations stalled. Abdelatty also expressed Egypt's interest in continued collaboration with Japan during their co-chairmanship of the UN conference's third interactive dialogue, aiming to build on past successes and advance the global water agenda.
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