President El-Sisi reaffirms Egypt's water security rights, rejects unilateral Nile actions

El-Sisi emphasized Egypt's legitimate right to protect its water and food security and development interests, highlighting the Nile River's critical importance as the country's main lifeline and a national security matter. He called for adherence to international law, including the principle of not causing harm. Egypt has consistently opposed Ethiopia's unilateral construction and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam GERD on the Blue Nile.

Both Egypt and Sudan have voiced concerns about the dam's potential impact on their water security and advocate for a legally binding agreement on its filling and operation. Ethiopia, however, views GERD as a sovereign development project essential for its electricity needs and has dismissed calls for a binding agreement, as well as Egyptian and Sudanese concerns regarding downstream water supplies.