The Ethiopian foreign ministry said on Tuesday that Addis Ababa is committed to implement the second phase of the filling of the disputed Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) as planned during the rainy season which starts in July, Al-Arabiya reported. Ethiopia's most recent announcement comes despite continued objections from Egypt and Sudan, the two downstream countries, to unilateral decisions from Addis Ababa on the filling and operation of the GERD in the absence of a legally binding agreement between the three countries. The Ethiopian foreign ministry stressed that Ethiopia adheres to the African Union-sponsored GERD negotiations and is expecting an invitation for the three countries to resume the talks on the outstanding issues. More to follow