CAIRO / ISTANBUL 

Egypt welcomed on Tuesday US President Donald Trump’s call for reaching “a just agreement” on the dispute with Ethiopia on a dam project on the Nile River.

Trump said on Monday that the US needs to work to resolve the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), stressing the importance of Nile water for Egypt as a “very important source of income and life.”

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Trump’s comments “demonstrate the seriousness of the United States – under President Trump’s leadership – in exerting efforts to resolve conflicts and end wars.”

“Egypt also appreciates President Trump’s keenness on reaching a just agreement that safeguards the interests of all parties regarding the Ethiopian Dam, as well as his recognition of the Nile as a source of life for Egypt,”

Sisi said on his official X account.

He also affirmed Egypt’s support for Trump’s vision of “establishing just peace, security, and stability for all countries in the region and around the world.”

In early July, Ethiopia announced the completion of the GERD on the Blue Nile, a tributary of the Nile River, in preparation for an official inauguration in September.

Construction on the GERD began in 2011. Over the years, it has become a point of diplomatic tension, particularly between Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt, which fears reduced water flows could affect its share of the Nile.

Despite years of negotiations under the African Union and international mediation, the three countries have yet to reach a legally binding agreement on long-term water management.