Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has said that conflict is not the answer to the long-standing dispute his country is locked in with Ethiopia over the construction of a dam on the River Nile.

Speaking to journalists in Sharm el Sheikh said the countries in dispute should focus on reaching an amicable agreement in the next talks scheduled to take place next month in Washington.

Cairo has long expressed fears that the construction of the $5 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will threaten water supplies that have fed Egypt's agriculture and economy for thousands of years.

Ethiopia on the other hand hopes the dam will help make it Africa’s biggest power exporter, and has allayed fears that the dam will threaten Egypt's water supply.

"Our resources shouldn't be wasted in conflict and wars which cost millions. Use that money for development of people and our countries instead." President el-Sisi said.

Ministers from Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan are scheduled to meet in the U.S. next month for the final round of talks aimed at ending the dispute.

The technical teams have already met three times following the intervention of U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin in November.

At the center of the dispute is the timeline for filling up the dam. Ethiopia wants to do it over a short period, but Egypt wants a longer timescale.

Source: BBC