The Ministers of Water Resources and Irrigation from Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia met, on Tuesday, and agreed to resume talks on disputed points regarding the Ethiopian dam on 28 August.
The current round of negotiations aims to reach a legally binding agreement between the three countries on the dam’s filling and operation, in accordance with the no-harm principle.
During a video conference meeting, delegations representing the three parties discussed the technical points related to recent talks. They also exchanged proposals regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam’s (GERD) filling and operation, Egypt’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation said.
The ministry added that the three parties agreed to resume the African Union (AU)-sponsored talks on the dam, on the bases of outcomes from the 21 July mini-summit that gathered leaders of the three nations.
The talks would also take into account the outcomes of the ministerial meeting on 16 August that took place between the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, and Water Resources, from the three countries.
On Sunday, the respective met virtually and adjourned the talks to 18 August. Although the adjournment was to allow the three sides to reach consensus on the contested points, agreement was still not reached. As a result, it was agreed that talks would resume on 28 August.
South Africa’s International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor said, on Sunday, that all GERD parties have reaffirmed their commitment to the AU-led trilateral negotiations. South Africa is the current chair of the AU.
The current round of negotiations started on 27 July, in the presence of observers from the AU Assembly Bureau, alongside representatives from AU member states, the US, and the EU.
