Addis Ababa, 13 August 2014 (WIC) – The tripartite dialogue between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan over the construction of multibillion Ethiopian dam will be resumed on 25 August 2014 in Khartoum, the Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy said.
Cross Border Rivers Affairs Director at the Ministry, Fekahmed Negash told ENA that the tripartite committee will discuss for two days on ways of implementing the recommendations made by the international experts group, established to conduct impact assessment on the dam.
The dialogue is expected to discuss on ways of conducting joint assessment about impacts of the dam to the downstream countries, if there is any doubt, he said.
“The main agenda of the dialogue is to reach consensus about establishing a system to conduct joint assessment based on the recommendations of the experts. They will also discuss about methods of conducting assessment, reporting and information exchange system, among others.”
The assessment made by the experts depicted that the dam can’t cause crisis on downstream countries, and it made some recommendations to the three countries to work together on some issues, he said.
In addition to the experts group, assessments made by the Eastern Nile Technical Regional Office, International Water Management Institute and World Bank displayed that the dam will not affect the volume of the water flow to Egypt and Sudan, Fekahmed said.
Knowing the firmness of the Ethiopian government, understanding that the dam wouldn’t affect the country and the recommendations of the experts group together contributed for the new Egyptian leadership to consider resumption of the dialogue, according to the director.
Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dina Mufti for his part said the resumption of the tripartite dialogue and the conduct of the joint assessments will help end doubt among the Egyptians.
The countries are coming to a consensus that they can solve their differences only through dialogue, he said.
The tripartite committee had met three times until it was halted last December.
Launched in April 2011, over 30 percent of the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has so far been completed.
Generating over 6,000mw power, the dam, when completed, will be the largest hydroelectric power plant in Africa and the 8th largest in the world. (ENA)