Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia hold video conference over Nile dam
What you need to know:
- Egypt is concerned that the dam might affect its 55.5-billion-cubic-meter annual share of the water resources.
- The GERD is scheduled to be completed in three years at a cost of 4.7 billion US dollars.
KHARTOUM
Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia Tuesday held a video conference here over the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Nile River.
"The meeting discussed two main items including the required measures to continue the negotiations as soon as possible and the outstanding issues for each country," Sudanese Irrigation and Water Resources Minister Yasir Abbas said in a statement.
He called the meeting "fruitful", which was characterized by a positive spirit.
He reiterated that the official Sudanese position backs the country's interests, noting that "sometimes this interest is identical with Ethiopia and sometimes with Egypt, but I reaffirm that the Sudanese interests do not conflict with the Egyptian or Ethiopian interests."
DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES
In March 2015, leaders of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia signed the Declaration of Principles committed to reaching an agreement regarding the GERD through cooperation.
Ethiopia started building the GERD in 2011, while Egypt, a downstream Nile Basin country that relies on the river for its fresh water, is concerned that the dam might affect its 55.5-billion-cubic-meter annual share of the water resources.
The GERD is scheduled to be completed in three years at a cost of 4.7 billion US dollars.
