Arab foreign ministers to meet in Qatar to discuss Ethiopian dam, Palestine

Arab foreign ministers will meet in Qatar on Tuesday to discuss the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam crisis and the latest developments in Palestine.

The Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League, Hossam Zaki, announced on Saturday that the emergency meeting was requested by Egypt and Sudan, both worried over the dam construction that they say will lead to water shortages.

In a joint statement last Wednesday, Cairo and Khartoum both stressed the importance of coordinating their efforts regionally and internationally to push Ethiopia to “negotiate seriously” over the dam, which has stalled its negotiations for months.

Ethiopia says the dam is essential to provide electricity for its population.

The meeting - which comes in light of improving relations between Cairo and Doha - is likely to discuss other developments in the region, and review the situation in Palestine and Israel’s recent aggression on the Gaza Strip.

Israeli bombardment on the coastal enclave killed at least 254 Palestinians, including 67 children. Hamas rocket fire killed 13 Israelis.

The Doha meeting comes a day after the arrival of Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry to Doha as part of ongoing efforts to rebuild ties between Cairo and Doha.

A January declaration put an end to a diplomatic crisis and blockade on Qatar that began in 2017, pitting Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain against the energy-rich country.

The countries accused Qatar of cosying up to Iran and financing extremist groups in the region, charges which Doha strongly denied.