Christians could play an important role in easing tensions between Egypt and Ethiopia, according to an Egyptian Coptic bishop.

Tensions have risen between the two countries over the allocation of water from the Nile, vital for the economies of both. Ethiopia has been constructing its Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile since 2011 and it is set to be one of the largest in the world. While Ethiopia argues it will not reduce the flow of water downstream, Egypt has fiercely resisted its construction.

Interviewed by the Al-Monitor news service, Bishop Beeman, who coordinates relations between the Ethiopian and Egyptian Coptic Churches, said the Church was a "soft power" trusted by both Egypt and Ethiopia.

"The Church is openly fulfilling its duties in an organised and orderly manner and is sending messages of love to the Ethiopian people," he said. "We seek to consolidate relations between the Ethiopian and Egyptian peoples in order to create a suitable climate for politicians and technicians so as to improve the dam negotiation."

He said he believed Ethiopia would not decrease the vital flow of Nile water through Egypt because "the Ethiopian people and church will not allow the government to harm the Egyptian people".

"This was confirmed by the Ethiopian church leaders in all of our meetings," he said, adding: "The Ethiopian Church is the voice of the Ethiopian people, and an active government expresses the will of its people."

While Egypt has been largely isolated in its opposition to the dam, which will see a massive boost to electricity generating capacity in the region, it has won backing from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Egypt is helping with the construction of a huge dam about 140 miles southwest of the capital Kinshasa.