Abdel Aty: We will not accept the construction of any new dams that violate the law

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Dr. Badr Abdel Aty, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Egyptians Abroad, confirmed that Egypt's position on developments related to relations with Ethiopia is clear and firm, emphasizing Cairo's rejection of any unilateral actions regarding the Nile waters or the establishment of facilities on an international watercourse that crosses borders without prior coordination and notification.

Abdel Aty said in exclusive statements to "Al Arabiya.net/Al Hadath.net" today, Sunday, on the sidelines of the Africa Science Forum in Alamein, that Egypt "will not be drawn into statements coming from here or there aimed at distracting attention from internal crises," stressing that Cairo wants good and stability for all countries.

He also added that his country "will not be a scapegoat for internal mistakes and problems," emphasizing that "the Egyptian position is clear, in closed rooms and in public, and there is no room for acceptance or tolerance of any unilateral actions."

He further stressed Egypt's rejection of "the construction of any new dams that violate international law," confirming the necessity of consultation between upstream and downstream countries. He said: "There is no room for establishing any facilities on any international watercourse that crosses borders without prior coordination and notification," pointing out that "these are fixed principles enshrined in international law."

Regarding the internal developments in Ethiopia, Abdel Aati emphasized that Egypt is not a party to them, stating: "We are not involved at all in what is happening inside Ethiopia, nor do we comment or interfere in the affairs of Ethiopia or others."

He added that he expects the African Union Commission to issue a "clarifying statement" regarding what has been raised in this context.

The Foreign Minister also affirmed Egypt's rejection of escalation, saying: "I am against escalation, as there are no military solutions," pointing out that this position applies to crises in Sudan, Iran, Lebanon, and any region in the world.

Regarding whether Egypt is a party to the escalation related to Ethiopia, Abdel Aati said that Cairo "was surprised by the unjustified step taken by Ethiopia."

The African Union Commission had recently issued a statement regarding what it described as the rising tension between Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Egypt. In its statement, the Commission called on the three countries to exercise the utmost restraint and to refrain from any actions or statements that could escalate tensions and threaten regional peace and stability, while keeping communication channels open and resolving disputes through diplomatic channels and peaceful dialogue.

The Egyptian-Ethiopian relations witnessed a diplomatic development over the past two days, after Ethiopia announced on October 1 that it considered an Egyptian diplomat a persona non grata and granted him 48 hours to leave the country, without clarifying the reasons for the decision.

Egypt responded in kind, announcing that an advisor at the Ethiopian embassy in Cairo was also a persona non grata and granted him the same timeframe to leave. This coincided with rising tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea, after Addis Ababa announced the closure of its embassy in Asmara and expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats, before Eritrea announced the severing of diplomatic relations with Ethiopia.