CAIRO: The seventh round of talks of the tripartite technical committee on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) kicked off Wednesday in Khartoum.
Water resources ministers in Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia along with representatives from the two international consultancy firms to conduct a technical study on the dam are present at the 3-day talks to discuss possible impact of the Ethiopia’s dam on the downstream countries; namely Sudan and Egypt.
The seventh round of talks of the tripartite technical committee on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
Egyptian Minister of Irrigation Hossam Moghazy, who arrived in Khartoum Tuesday, said he hopes “the committee will reach positive results that meet the demands of the three nations and an agreement to move forward with launching the technical study related to the dam,” according to Youm7.
Irrigation Minister Hossam Moghazy during The seventh round of talks of the tripartite technical committee on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
The studies, currently carried out by the two international consultancy firms, are scheduled to be submitted within five months. The studies will determine the time during which the dam can be filled without affecting water flow to Sudan and Egypt.
Egypt fears the dame, which will be Africa’s largest hydroelectric power plant, will negatively affect its share of Nile water.