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Ìýhas paused technical meetings with the , charged with constructing the nuclear power plant per a 2017 deal, Egyptian sources haveÌýsaid.

The ROSATOM meetings were due to be held with the ministry, °®Âþµº's Arabic-language sister service, Al-Araby Al-JadeedÌýreportedÌýon Monday.

Sources told the website: "The tension which hangs over the relations between the two countries [is] because of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam crisis and Moscow revealing a clear supportive stance towards Ethiopia."

This "has affected the technical meetings related to the of the building of the El-Dabaa nuclear plant".

According to ROSATOM, the constructionÌýof the El-Dabaa plant could cost as much as $21 billion.

The Egyptian sources claimed that senior technical representatives from the nation's electricity ministry and nuclear authority were stopped from going to Moscow.

They were due to travel to RussiaÌýto discuss theÌýEl-Dabaa construction deal.

The decision to disallowÌýthis visit followed Russia's support for Ethiopia inÌýthe GERD dispute with Egypt, as well asÌýnews that MoscowÌýhad reached a military deal with Addis Ababa.

Al-Araby Al-Jadeed's sources noted that the issues between Egypt and Russia began prior nto aÌý8 July United Nations Security Council meeting on the GERD project.

Moscow noted points of departure between it and Egypt, with Cairo's stance towards the US being a key issue.

Egypt said it would halt an agreement with RussiaÌýfor the purchase of Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets shortly before CairoÌýwas due to receive itsÌýfirst shipment.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken had informed his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry that Washington was not happy with the Russian arms deal, with suggestions it could lead to US sanctions on Cairo.

Back in 2019, Cairo reached a deal worth $2 billion with Moscow for around 20 Su-35s.

Egypt and Sudan urged the UN Security Council to call for a legally binding agreement to resolve their dispute with Ethiopia over the GERD, but Ethiopia insisted the matter can be solved by the African Union.

— °®Âþµº (@The_NewArab)

Despite Cairo's posturing on the El-Dabaa plant, the sources claimed this was only an attempt to encourage Moscow to back Egypt as Ethiopia completes its second filling of the GERD.

Egypt and its neighbour Sudan are both vehemently opposed to the GERD project saying it couldÌýÌýand could cause serious harm to the food security and livelihoods.

Sudan said on Saturday that the water suppliesÌýfrom the Blue Nile continued to fall by up to half as a result of the dam's second filling.