Egypt's PM Tells UN Water Security Is 'Existential', Backs Palestinian State
Egyptian PM Mostafa Madbouly told the UN General Assembly that Egypt's water security is an existential issue and called for a Palestinian state and Security Council reform.
Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly told the United Nations General Assembly that his country's water security is an "existential issue" that cannot be compromised, placing the Nile at the centre of his address to world leaders.
Speaking from the podium, Madbouly described the river as far more than an economic asset, calling it a lifeline that has shaped Egyptian society throughout its history. He said transboundary water resources should serve as a basis for cooperation and integration rather than conflict.
The remarks come amid Egypt's long-running dispute with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile, which Cairo fears could cut into its share of the river's waters.
In the same speech, the Egyptian prime minister restated his country's backing for an independent Palestinian state along the lines of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, framed within a two-state solution and in line with international resolutions.
Madbouly also pressed for what he called a genuine and comprehensive overhaul of the UN Security Council, pointing to the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration as the basis for addressing what he described as the historical injustice Africa has faced.
He made the remarks at the 80th session of the General Assembly in New York.