CAIRO: Egypt has urged the need for an agreement “at the earliest possible time” with Sudan and Ethiopia on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) ahead of the second phase of its operation. The three countries have agreed to bilateral meetings with experts to negotiate the filling of the dam’s reservoir. Egypt said that the agreement should “achieve the common interests of the three countries,” but at the same time “secure Egypt’s rights and water interests.”The comments came during a tripartite meeting between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia that discussed resuming negotiations on filling and operating the dam. However, Ethiopia warned that it “will not accept” any agreement that limits its right to use Nile waters, indicating its commitment to conclude negotiations and reach an agreement. The three countries have held several rounds of talks since Ethiopia launched the GERD project in 2011, but are yet to reach an agreement on filling and operating the dam’s huge reservoir.

Source: Ethiopian News January 04, 2021 23:48 UTC