President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Egypt “has no problem” with Ethiopia beyond reaching a legally binding agreement over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, underscoring Cairo’s insistence on securing its rights to the Nile.

Speaking in Cairo during the second ministerial meeting of the Russia-Africa Cooperation Forum, Al-Sisi stressed that Egypt’s primary concern is that its water rights are protected, calling for a formal agreement to govern the operation of the dam, which Ethiopia has built and begun operating.

The comments follow statements by Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdellatif, who said last month that Cairo does not intend to resume talks with Ethiopia after 13 years of negotiations yielded no results, and that Egypt will uphold its rights under international law.

Egypt has also rejected historic claims for its share of the Nile, arguing that colonial-era agreements were unjust, as Ethiopia was not included and had no stake. The Nile supplies more than 85 percent of its water from Ethiopia, and Cairo remains concerned that the dam could threaten its primary water source.