For the third day in a row, irrigation ministers from Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia discussed the filling and operating of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in Washington with a mediation by US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
The meeting discussed measures Ethiopia must take during time of drought, Egypt’s Ministry of Irrigation said.
Commenting on the talks, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry expressed “appreciation for the US president’s interest in this vital file and the constructive effort undertaken by the US Treasury Secretary and his assistant team.” Egypt is ready to continue negotiations in the coming days in attempt of reaching a fair and balanced agreement.
The ministry’s statement did not provide more details about the meetings. While, Ethiopian media outlets on Tuesday reported that the Ethiopia Foreign Ministry could not yet comment on the negotiations’ path or predict the meeting’s outcomes.
Nebiat Getachew, spokesperson for the ministry, cited by the Ethiopian News Agency, said, “The outcome of the meeting will be made official at the conclusion of the discussion as it is difficult to predict this.”
They have recently completed four rounds of meetings, held under the auspices of the US to continue negotiations, but has yet to reach agreement satisfying all sides. The three countries are supposed to solve disputes during this round, in accordance to a previous agreement to resolve their disputes over the filling and operating of the dam by 15 January.
