FILE PHOTO: Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam is seen as it undergoes construction work on the river Nile in Guba Woreda, Benishangul Gumuz Region, Ethiopia September 26, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri/File Photo
CAIRO – 5 June 2020: Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on Thursday have reviewed the latest developments concerning the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which Egypt fears it will significantly affect its water share.
In a phone call, Shoukry and Yi have affirmed the need to reach an agreement as soon as possible in this regard and stressed rejection to any unilateral decision by Ethiopia unless an agreement that achieves the interest of all parties is reached, in accordance with legal commitments and relevant international law, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The ministers also discussed solidarity between Egypt and China, as well as the current cooperation between them, in the fight against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), stressing the need to tackle its repercussions. In this regard, Shoukry congratulated China for managing to contain the coronavirus crisis.
Shoukry and Yi also agreed on continuing political coordination between their two countries and stressed the importance of discussing regional and international issues of mutual concern.
In May, China’s Ambassador to Egypt has attended an event to hand the Egyptian side a 4.7-ton shipment of medical aid from China, including face masks and protective suits.
The shipment includes 10,000 N95 respirator masks, 10,000 protective suits, 70,000 DNA detectors, Ambassador Liao Liqiang said in a Twitter post.
“China and Egypt are good friends,” Liqiang said. “China supports the Egyptian efforts to combat [corona]virus and is confident that Egypt will overcome it soon.”
“Egypt has provided firm support to China in a crucial stage for its fight against coronavirus. Now, China has contained the epidemic and has provided aid to Egypt to the best of its ability to return the favor,” he said.
“China will provide further aid to Egypt in the future,” Liqiang added.
In the seventh press conference on efforts deployed to face coronavirus, Liqiang stated that his country had sent Egypt 20,000 N95 masks, 10,000 medical protective suits, and 10,000 test kits.
The ambassador announced that a second batch will arrive on April 21 consisting of 10,000 N95 masks and 10,000 medical protective suits, and that a massive third batch is being coordinated with the Egyptian government. That batch will encompass 150,000 masks, a million masks for medical staff, 70,000 medical protective suits, 70,000 COVID-19 test kits, and 1,000 thermometer guns.
Liqiang revealed in the conference held virtually that later on Sunday medical aids will be handed over to university hospitals affiliated to Egypt's Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. The aids are 100,000 masks, 15,000 N95 masks, 1,200 COVID-19 test kits, and medical protective suits.
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