Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 May 2021
100. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the correspondence his Department has had with the governments of Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan in relation to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. [24199/21]
View answerThe construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in Ethiopia has been the cause of escalating tension between Ethiopia on the one hand, and Sudan and Egypt on the other.
Intertwined with other challenges in the Horn of Africa, resolution of the GERD dispute is vital for regional peace and security.
As a Member of the Security Council, and given our friendly relations with Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan, Ireland has been closely monitoring efforts to facilitate dialogue between the parties.
Government officials in Dublin and in our Embassies in Nairobi (accredited to Sudan), Addis Ababa and Cairo are particularly involved, alongside our Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York. These officials have met and spoken with counterparts from the countries concerned to listen to their views and to share Ireland’s position.
In these engagements, Ireland acknowledges that the issue of the GERD is one of critical significance for the three countries involved. We express support for the leadership of the Africa Union (AU) in facilitating negotiations to find an equitable and peaceful solution that is acceptable to all parties.
Ireland strongly supports the active role played by the EU in supporting the AU-led negotiation process, both through the work of the Office of the Special Representative for the Horn of Africa, Alex Rondos and Finnish Foreign Minister, Pekka Haavisto, a Special Envoy for the EU’s High Representative Josep Borrell. The issue of the GERD was most recently discussed by EU Foreign Ministers at the April Foreign Affairs Council attended by Minister Coveney.
Government officials also meet regularly with representatives of multilateral organisations, non-governmental organisations and Embassies which are monitoring developments on the ground.
Given the implications of the GERD dispute for regional peace and security, and the possibility that the matter may be brought again before the Security Council, Ireland will continue to closely monitor developments.
