Cairo asked the US and some European countries to help it freeze a deal under which Turkey would sell drones to Ethiopia and any shipments of drones to Ethiopia that may threaten to fuel tense relations between Turkey and Egypt, Reuters quoted Egyptian security sources as saying.
Four informed sources said, Thursday, that Turkey has expanded its exports of armed drones by negotiating deals with Morocco and Ethiopia after its successful use in international conflicts.
Reuters reported, quoting a third Egyptian source, that any agreement in this regard should be presented and discussed during talks between Cairo and Ankara, which are currently trying to reform bilateral relations.
Egyptian Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources, Mohamed Abdel-Aty on Monday called for a specific time table with the presence of international observers regarding negotiations on the rules for filling and operating the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
The UN Security Council issued a statement in mid-September on the GERD dispute encouraging Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan to resume negotiations, under the President of the African Union to finalize a binding legal agreement on filling and operating the dam.
Egypt and Sudan say they want a legally binding agreement, while Ethiopia says any pact should be advisory.
Egypt and Sudan consider the dam a threat to their vital water supplies, while Ethiopia considers it essential for development and doubling its electricity production.
The downstream nations fear possible blows to water facilities, agricultural land, and the overall availability of Nile water.
