mr presidentladies and gentlemen egyptis closely linked to its african contextsomething that we are immensely proud ofthis is geographical continuity but alsoexistential continuityhence the importance of cooperationof countries on this continent butthis must be a two-way street it cannotbe unilateralbeing determined by one party to thedetriment of others egypt recognizes itsneighbors right to development but weare country that suffers fromdroughts and people live under the waterpoverty linethe nile is egypt's lifeline whichexplainsthe extreme anguish that egypt feel overthe renaissance dam you are probably allaware of the current state of thenegotiationsbetween egypt ethiopia and sudan whichhave lasted for 10 yearswe have come up against intransigenceand an unjustified refusal to engagepositively in negotiationsin consecutive steps this is aunilateral approach and a policy ofimpositions whichcould further destabilize the regionegypt does sought the help of the unitednations security councilto send un observers and bolster africanmediation efforts egypt remainscommitted to reachingas soon as possible a comprehensivebalanced and legally binding agreementon the filling and operation of theethiopian damthis aims at ensuring the survival of150 million people in egypt and sudanand to avoid causing irreparable damageto the peoples of both countriesthis is based not only on the values ofequityand logic but alsoon robust international legal groundswhich call for the fair and just useof joint water resourcesin international rivers

We condemn the missile attacks on Israel and the unproportioneduse of force in retaliation whilewe fully recognize Israel’s right to self-defense. We are deeply concerned by the violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territorysince the deadly escalation between Israel and the militants in Gaza earlier this year,and the continued loss of life and serious injuriesas reported to the Security Council by the UN Special Coordinator on the Middle East Peace Process.The solution of the conflict between Israel and Palestine through the revival of the Middle East Peace Processhas no alternative. We call on both sides to use maximum restraint, refrain from unilateral acts and provocations,and give a chance to negotiations and dialogueas well as to confidence-building measures. Bulgaria has high appreciation for the work of the United Nations Agency on Palestinian Refugees on the ground,and will continue to support it both politically and financially.