The fourth round of trilateral negotiations between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) began today in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa.
The massive hydropower project on the Blue Nile has been a source of tension since Ethiopia began construction in 2011. Egypt and Sudan are downstream countries and are concerned about how the dam's filling and operation may affect their water supplies.
The talks are being held following a July 13th joint statement by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to expedite negotiations to finalize guidelines for the dam's first filling and operation.
According to Ethiopia’s Chief Negotiator Seleshi Bekele, the ministerial meeting will build on discussions from previous rounds and technical meetings held yesterday, as the countries continue efforts to achieve consensus.
Ethiopia remains guided by the 2015 Declaration of Principles for the GERD, Seleshi stated. Specifically, Ethiopia will advocate for agreeable outcomes based on equitable and reasonable utilization of the Nile River waters, a core principle of the declaration, he added.
