A new round of negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) kicked off here on Sunday with the participation of delegations from Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia.
The new round of negotiations came in light of a statement issued on July 13, 2023 on the sidelines of the Sudan neighbors summit and following a meeting between the Egyptian and Ethiopian leaderships in Cairo and in coordination with Sudan.
Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Hani Sweilam stressed in a statement the importance of reaching a binding agreement on filling and operating the dam taking into consideration the interests of the three countries.
He called for ending any unilateral steps saying the continuation of filling the dam violates the agreement on the Declaration of Principles signed in 2015.
He said that Egypt exerts strenuous efforts to render the negotiations among the three countries a success.
President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed agreed in July to initiate urgent negotiations to finalize the agreement by Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan on the filling of the dam and the rules that govern its operation within four months.
Source: Middle East News Agency