Ahram Online , Monday 18 Dec 2023
The fourth round of talks on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) commenced on Monday in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, with the participation of ministerial delegations from Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia, according to an official statement by Egypt’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation.
The fourth round of talks on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam commences in the Ethiopian Capital, Addis Ababa, 18 December, 2023. Photo: Egyptian Cabinet
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Fourth round of GERD talks to be held in Addis Ababa
According to the statement, this round will accelerate the finalization of an agreement regarding the rules for filling and operation of the GERD within four months.
The spokesperson of the Ministry affirmed that Egypt engages in negotiations – as it has always done – faithfully and seriously to conclude a fair and balanced agreement that takes into account its current and future national interests while achieving the common interests of the three countries.
Last October, the third round of talks on the GERD concluded in Cairo, while the second round of talks was held in Addis Ababa in September, and the first was held in Cairo in August.
The Egyptian government said the first two rounds of talks on the GERD showed no change in the Ethiopian stance.
Egypt seeks a legally binding agreement governing the filling and operating of the dam that ensures its water security along with the interests of Ethiopia and Sudan.
The recently revived talks are the first since negotiations sponsored by the African Union collapsed in April 2021.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed agreed during a meeting in Egypt in mid-July to restart the GERD talks and resolve the dispute within four months.
Late October, Egypt’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilam warned against Ethiopia’s continued unilateral operation of the GERD on the Blue Nile, saying it poses an ‘existential threat’ to the more than 100 million people in Egypt.
4th round of Ethiopia dam ministerial meetings kicks off in Addis Ababa Middle East News Agency 07:19