The water ministers of Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt started discussing the findings of the National Independent Research Group on filling and filling operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) yesterday.
In his opening remark, Ethiopia’s Water, Irrigation and Electricity Minister Engineer Selishi Bekele said: “the National Independent Research Group have produced useful results after holding for rounds of meetings to look at the filling and filling operation of the dam.”
He added that the ministers would deliberate on pending issues to narrow gaps.
The meeting is held as per the decision of the heads of the three countries who met in Beijing at the margins during the FOCAC Summit.
“This meeting gives us the opportunity to look at the study results and resolve issues and move forward with other cooperative areas that the countries should develop further,” Selishi emphasised.
Furthermore, he stressed, “we are at this important juncture to look at the GERD will be filled without causing any significant harm to the downstream countries based on the Declaration of Principles and recommendations we have been underlying in the past.”
Egyptian Water Resource and Irrigation Minister, Mohamed Abdel Aaty said the meeting is part of the commitment of the three countries to send their queries and comments to the NTC.
“I look for the possible best scenario for filling that could have no significant harm on the downstream countries and fulfil all the requirements for operating the GERD,” he added.
Mentioning that there could be differences, the Minister noted: “continuation of discussion is a reflection on our insistence that we have to reach both agreements that fulfil for the ambitions of the three nations and bring about better optimisation of the operation of the whole system.”
Sudanese Water, Irrigation and Electricity Minister Kedir Kesem Al Seid said: “we came with an open mind to see if there are any differences in the National Independent Research Group that we can close.”
He pointed out that the meeting is deliberated based on the Declaration of Principles to close gaps and move forward.
The three countries have been engaging in tripartite discussion to narrow differences in the construction and filling of the GERD, which Ethiopia is being built along the Nile.
