On the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, MP Mohamed Abou El-Enein, Honorary President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM), met with Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria.
The meeting took place as part of Abou El-Enein’s participation in the High-Level Week of the United Nations General Assembly, representing the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean. He took part in a number of international meetings and events addressing issues of peace, security, development and climate change, as well as priority issues for African and Mediterranean countries.
The meeting between Abou El-Enein and the former Nigerian President addressed a number of African and regional issues, foremost among them the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), given the importance of the issue to water security and stability in the Nile Basin region.
Abou El-Enein stressed that Egypt’s water security is a red line, emphasizing that Egypt remains committed to negotiations, international law and peaceful solutions, while affirming its full right to protect its water security and the rights of its people.
He also stressed that Egypt does not reject Ethiopia’s right to development, but seeks to reach a fair and binding solution that safeguards the rights and interests of the three countries. He emphasized the importance of ensuring that the Nile River serves as a bridge for development and integration among its basin countries, rather than becoming a means of causing harm to any party.
The meeting also addressed a number of issues and developments related to the African continent, foremost among them the summits and events scheduled to be held in El Alamein, including the Alamein–Africa Forum 2026, in addition to a number of important regional issues, including the GERD file.
Olusegun Obasanjo is regarded as one of Africa’s most prominent political figures, owing to his extensive political experience and longstanding relationships with a large number of African leaders, developed during his tenure as President of Nigeria and throughout his long political career. This has given him a broad presence in African dialogue circles.
The meeting between Abou El-Enein and Obasanjo comes as part of a series of engagements and meetings held by the Honorary President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean during his participation in the United Nations meetings. These efforts focused on promoting parliamentary and international dialogue on regional and international issues of common interest.
These engagements underscore the important role that parliamentary diplomacy can play in opening channels of dialogue and communication among countries, particularly on African and regional issues that require coordinated political, economic and parliamentary efforts.
