Egypt's CBE issues EGP5b FRN T-bonds    EHA launches national telemedicine platform with support from Egyptian doctors abroad    Madbouly reviews strategy to localize pharmaceutical industry, ensure drug supply    Egypt's real estate market faces resale slowdown amid payment pressures    Al-Mashat tells S&P that Egypt working to reduce external debt, empower private sector    Cairo's real estate market shows resilient growth as economy stabilizes: JLL    Egypt's Foreign Minister, Pakistani counterpart meet in Doha    Egypt condemns terrorist attack in northwest Pakistan    Emergency summit in Doha as Gaza toll rises, Israel targets Qatar    Egypt renews call for Middle East free of nuclear weapons، ahead of IAEA conference    Egypt's EDA, Korean pharma firms explore investment opportunities    Egypt's FM heads to Doha for talks on Israel escalation    Egypt advances plans to upgrade historic Cairo with Azbakeya, Ataba projects    Egyptian pound ends week lower against US dollar – CBE    Egypt hosts G20 meeting for 1st time outside member states    Lebanese Prime Minister visits Egypt's Grand Egyptian Museum    Egypt to tighten waste rules, cut rice straw fees to curb pollution    Egypt seeks Indian expertise to boost pharmaceutical industry    Egypt prepares unified stance ahead of COP30 in Brazil    Egypt recovers collection of ancient artefacts from Netherlands    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



GERD talks to resume on Sunday after one-month halt
Published in Ahram Online on 02 - 01 - 2021

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) negotiations between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia are scheduled to resume on Sunday, 3 January after a one-month impasse due to Sudan's withdrawal from the African Union (AU) mediated negotiations.

The Sudanese news agency SUNA said on Saturday that Sudan's acting Foreign Minister Omar Gamar Edeen and Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Yasser Abbas will participate in the GERD negotiations scheduled to resume on Sunday under chairmanship South Africa, the current AU Chairperson.

SUNA quoted a liable source as saying that "the meeting will discuss Sudan's proposal aimed at reactivating the negotiations by giving a greater role to the AU experts" so as to reach an abiding legal agreement on GERD, which Ethiopia had started building on the Blue Nile since 2011.

In late November, Sudan decided not to take part in the latest tripartite ministerial meeting on the GERD issue, which was scheduled for 21 November, objecting to the adopted methodology of negotiations, saying that the "method followed in negotiating during the past rounds has proven to be unproductive."

Egypt and Sudan have been in talks with Ethiopia for years now to reach a legally binding agreement on the filling and operating of the $4.8 billion near-complete mega dam.

South Africa has been mediating negotiations between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia to resolve the dispute over the near-complete dam.

On 26 December, El-Sisi reaffirmed Egypt's stance on the imperative need to formulate a binding agreement with Sudan and Ethiopia on the GERD during a phone call with South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The Egyptian president stressed the importance of a binding agreement that would secure Egypt's water rights during the filling and the operating of the dam, as the Nile's water is an existential matter for Egyptian people, according to a statement by the presidency.

Cairo and Khartoum have insisted that the three countries sign a binding legal agreement on disputed issues surrounding GERD to safeguard the interests of the three parties, a demand that has been declined by Addis Ababa for the sake of the agreement to have non-binding guidelines.

Cairo, that has more than 85 percent of its Nile water flow from Ethiopian highlands, fears the massive hydropower project will significantly cut its crucial water supplies, which is already below scarcity level, from the River Nile. While Sudan fears GERD – which is built 15 kilometres from the Ethiopian border with Sudan – could endanger the safety of its own dams.

On the other hand, Ethiopia says the 6,000-megawatt dam is key to its development and hopes to become Africa's biggest electricity exporter.


Clic here to read the story from its source.