Sudan says GERD talks making good progress
December 27, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The tripartite meeting between Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia over the Grand Renaissance Dam that Addis Ababa is constructing along the Blue Nile adjourned its first session till tomorrow.
Sudan’s Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour told reporters on Sunday that the talks were conducted ‘’in a good spirit.’’
Ghandour said they discussed the status of consultancy firms that were assigned to probe effects of the dam on Sudan and Egypt.
He said the talks were also meant to effect the declaration of principles signed by the three countries leaders in Khartoum last March.
Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia signed a declaration of principles on the dam project that tacitly approves the dam construction but calls for technical studies aimed at safeguarding the water quotas of the three riparian states.
On September 22 2014, the panel of experts in the three countries proposed the conduction of two additional studies on the dam project , the first one on the effect of the dam on the water quota of Sudan and Egypt and the second one to examine the dam’s ecological, economic and social impacts of the dam on Sudan and Egypt.
“We have agreed upon all the issues we discussed and there remain items which we will discuss later on. I can confirm however that we are going in the right path,’’ he said.
BASHIR OFFERS ADVICE
The Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir held separate meetings on Sunday with the foreign ministers of Egypt and Ethiopia to discuss his country’s relations with the two countries as well as the dam question.
Ethiopia’s foreign minister Tedros Adhanom told reporters that Bashir had presented “some advices and proposals” to the three countries delegates “on ways for reaching the required results”.
Adhanom said he informed Bashir about the progress of the talks “given the fact that this is the second round of talks this month”.
He expressed his appreciation of Bashir’s efforts to create concord among the three countries.
He also hailed the role that Sudan had played in pushing the talks forward towards reaching agreement on the dam issue.
Bashir has also met Egypt’s foreign minister Samih Shoukri who conveyed to him a message from President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi.
Spokesman of the Egyptian foreign ministry Ahmed Abu Zaid said Sisi had confirmed in his message Egypt’s commitment to cooperate with Sudan to achieve common interests in a manner that satisfies the expectations of the two people’s and helps the two countries face the current challenges in the region.
He said minister Shoukri had conveyed to Bashir the progress of the dam talks ‘’confirming the vitality of the declaration of principles as a basis for confidence building and for achieving common benefits for Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia without any harm to any of them.’’
Egypt is concerned that the dam could reduce its quota of 55.5 billion cubic meters of the Nile water , while the Ethiopian side maintains that the dam is primarily built to produce electricity and will not harm Sudan and Egypt.
Following the two ministers’ encounters with Bashir, Sudan’s foreign minister Ibrahim Ghandour said Bashir had highlighted the need that the three countries implement the declaration of principles and form a high committee to look into developmental , economic, popular and security issues.
Ghandour said the two ministers had confirmed to Bashir their commitment to the three leaders’ directives for completing the agreement on the dam question.
He said the two ministers had stated that their choice of Khartoum as a venue for the talks was due to the pivotal role played by Sudan in this issue.
(ST)