Addis Ababa: Egypt needs to reassess the colonial era foreign policy it is pursuing against Ethiopia’s development rights on the Abay (Nile River), the veteran diplomat Ambassador Tiruneh Zena underscored.
Ethiopia’s has been reiterating its unwavering aspiration for an equitable and reasonable use of water resources for its development endeavors without causing harm on downstream countries.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed reassured to Egypt on several occasions that Ethiopia has no intention to cause harm on the downstream countries other than to meet its electric power demands.
In an exclusive interview with ENA, Ambassador Tiruneh said Ethiopia has already embarked on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) to meet its excessive energy demands and integrate the East African region through power by developing the Abay River.
The country is now completing the construction of the dam, a colossal hydropower dam in the African continent and it is now partially generating electric power.
The diplomat recalled
that Ethiopia has witnessed unprecedented and unwarranted accusations from Egypt over the last thirteen years.
Tiruneh believed that Egypt pursued a policy of antagonism for centuries to keep Ethiopia weak.
‘The problem with Egypt is that they want to keep Ethiopia weak forever. I can say that they have been doing this for 100 years. That didn’t actually start yesterday. But Ethiopia always resists this wrong approach,’ he elaborated.
According to him, Ethiopia for the first time has come to the point where the country can utilize the Abay River for its development endeavors.
As a major source of Abay river, Ethiopia has a natural rights to utilize the water, he said.
Noting that Ethiopia realizes the importance of cooperation on this largest river flows, Tiruneh indicated that it has been now starting to utilize its water resource based on the international law without causing significant harm on others.
However, Egypt has been still pursuing distorted foreign policy toward Ethiopia to undermine its ri
ghts on the Nile River.
‘That is not good for Ethiopia and Egypt. Egypt and Ethiopia are evidently the biggest and historic nations in the region. They can cooperate for development, peace and security of the region rather than disagree. Such a hostile narrative would destabilize the region.’
Meanwhile, Ethiopia is doing a great job in that regard, he said, adding it waited for many decades to meet the aspiration of utilizing its natural resources for development.
For instance, Ethiopia has witnessed numerous allegations following the laying of the cornerstone for the construction of GERD on the Abbay River from day one just to address its electric power shortages.
‘You know, once it (GERD) generates electricity, the water goes to Egypt without any hindrance. Egypt itself does understand it very well. But its problem is the policy that it maintains for 100 years, weakening Ethiopia. You know, this is the 21st century, which countries work together, develop together, and cooperate together as well as help
each other,’ the diplomat underlined.
Realizing that such vain exercise will never bear fruit, the veteran diplomat strongly urged Egypt to stop negative approaches against Ethiopia and its futile attempt to weaken the country.
Tiruneh stated that: ‘It will be in vain that they are trying this and that to weaken Ethiopia. Ethiopia is not being weakened. Ethiopia is developing. Ethiopia is becoming stronger and stronger.’
Source: Ethiopian News Agency