this massive dam project has been a long-running source of regional tension but as the date for Ethiopia to start filling the now completed dam nears its becoming a major crisis with international dimensions it was the u.s. that called for the first Security Council meeting on the issue after being urged to do so by Egypt which relies on the Nile for 90% of its water the matter on which I am addressing you today is of the greatest consequence to the Egyptian people and requires like our efforts to combat this global pandemic a commitment to uphold the
spirit of cooperation and to recognize that no nation is an island unto itself but the Ethiopian ambassador countered that the UN was not the place to discuss this dispute let me be clear that you tibia doesn't believe the issue being discussed today has a legitimate place in the Security Council it is bound to set a bad precedent and open a Pandora's box this council should not be a forum for exacting diplomatic pressure if you're in a dispute with a choice of mediators you probably choose the one that you think is going to give you the
best result diplomats believe Egypt gambled on internationalizing this conflict hoping that the presence of the u.s. a permanent member of the Security Council with a veto would help its case for now that hasn't worked this weekend the African Union convened fresh talks and many council members believe it's those efforts that should take priority for now although the dispute is becoming angrier one analyst says he believes it's unlikely any of the countries involved will resort to force ultimately especially in the long run the only way for Egypt to secure those supplies is by a cooperation with
its upstream neighbors very much including Ethiopia if this escalated into any form of conflict it's going to make it much much more difficult for the what is to overcome the remaining obstacles of reaching an agreement on the GERD and it really could set back relations in the long term at the end of the meeting both Egypt and Ethiopia asked for the floor again disputing the other's position diplomats believe the only way to resolve things is for all three countries Egypt Ethiopia and Sudan to return to the negotiating table and make concessions in this dispute no
one's going to get exactly what they want James BAE's al Jazeera at the United Nations
