The second day of talks between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) kicked off in Washington on Thursday, Egyptian foreign ministry said. The talks, which are being attended by the ministers of foreign affairs and water resources from the three countries, aim to reach a comprehensive agreement over the rules for filling and operating the Ethiopian dam, according to Egyptian foreign ministry spokesperson Ahmed Hafez . The talks are being hosted by the US administration, represented by the US Treasury Department, as well as the World Bank, both of which are acting as observers in the talks. This latest round of negotiations between the three countries began on 28 and 29 January and saw an extension of two days. The ministers of foreign affairs and water resources of the three countries agreed in the last round of talks on a schedule for the filling plan and a mitigation mechanism for the filling and long-term operation of the GERD during times of drought and prolonged drought. The signing of a final comprehensive agreement is scheduled for late February, and the ministers have instructed their technical and legal teams to prepare the points for the final agreement. Tensions were building between Egypt and Ethiopia in recent months after talks on the technical details governing the operation of the dam had failed to make progress. Ethiopia hopes that the massive $4.8 billion project on the Blue Nile, which has been under construction since 2011, will allow it to become Africa's largest power exporter. Egypt, however, worries that the project will reduce its supply of water from the Nile.
