Sudan to host Nile water tripartite meeting in mid-August
August 3, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – Khartoum will host a tripartite meeting of water ministers from Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia in mid-August to seek an agreement on a joint mechanism to implement the recommendations of a committee of experts on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
“We look forward with much optimism that the Khartoum meeting puts the three countries on the right track regarding the agenda tabled for discussion,” Moussa said.
“There is no choice to the states other than negotiations, consultations and reaching amicable solutions to what is tabled as issues on the agenda,” he added.
The Sudanese official underscored that the dam has positive effects on the future of Sudan water and electricity generation.
Egypt argues the multi-billion dollars project, which Ethiopia is building along the Nile River near the Sudanese border, would eventually diminish its water share. It further asserts that the dam, which is the largest along the Nile river would reduce the amount of electricity generated by the Aswan Dam and adversely impact its agricultural production.
The International panel of experts in their final report said Ethiopia’s dam project would not result in any significant harm to the two downstream countries, Sudan and Egypt.
(ST)