Trump Pressures Egypt with the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) Issue, and the Egyptian Response is Clear: Egypt Rejects Guardianship
Trump Pressures Egypt with the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) Issue, and the Egyptian Response is Clear: Egypt Rejects Guardianship
By: Ayman Bahr
Egypt is not a small country waiting for someone to protect it, nor is it a country where anyone can dictate who its ally and partner are. And, Mr. Trump, Egypt does not operate on the basis of subservience, nor will it accept that its international relations become a bill to be paid in exchange for support on an issue that touches its national security. If some believe that the GERD file can be used to pressure Cairo or linked to Egypt’s relations with China, they should reconsider their calculations carefully. Because Egypt is a sovereign state, it makes its own national decisions, it knows where its interests lie, and it knows how to protect its national security. The GERD file is not a passing political card, nor is it a deal that can be traded for Egypt’s relations with this country or that. It is a file that touches the lifeblood of Egyptians. Therefore, Egyptian water security is not a matter for compromise. Egypt has not closed the door to negotiations; rather, it has always been in favor of serious and fair political solutions. But for Cairo, negotiation does not mean relinquishing rights, and international cooperation does not mean accepting Dictates
Partnership with Washington does not mean abandoning Beijing. Opening up to China does not mean entering into conflict with America. This is Egypt: cooperating with everyone and disagreeing with everyone when its interests require it. It builds its foreign relations according to its national decisions, not according to the desires of others. Egyptian-Chinese relations are a purely Egyptian matter. Egyptian-American relations are based on mutual interests and mutual respect. No country in the world has the right to grant Egypt permission to choose its partners. If Washington wants to help resolve the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) crisis, Egypt welcomes any responsible American role that supports reaching a fair and binding agreement and protects Egyptian water rights. However, if assistance becomes conditional on reshaping Egypt’s international relations, the answer must be clear. Egypt will not compromise its sovereignty, will not bargain away its water security, and will not allow the world’s need for cooperation to become a means of pressuring it. Egypt is a state of institutions, a state with a strong army and a diplomacy that knows how to act. It is a state that possesses the experience, history, and regional presence that make its national decisions its own. Mr. Trump, Egypt does not want No American tutelage? No Chinese tutelage? No Russian tutelage? No tutelage from any party whatsoever? Egypt wants partnerships, not tutelage; cooperation, not dictates; and mutual respect, not conditions imposed on its sovereignty. Anyone approaching the issue of Egyptian water security must understand that Egyptians may disagree on everything, but they are united when it comes to Egypt’s security, interests, and rights. The final message is clear: Egypt is not looking for someone to protect it; Egypt is looking for someone to respect it. Egypt is not looking for someone to decide for it; Egypt knows very well how to decide for itself. As for its water security, it is not a bargaining chip; it is a matter of national security that is not open to compromise.
