Ethiopian foreign minister arrives in Cairo for more dam talks

Ethiopian Foreign Minister Tawadros Adhanom arrived in Egypt on Friday night to participate in a tripartite meeting with Sudanese and Egyptian representatives, Egypt’s state news agency MENA reported.

During the two-day visit, Adhanom is expected to meet his Egyptian and Sudanese counterparts to discuss the latest developments regarding Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile.

In April, the three countries selected two international consultancy firms to conduct studies determining the impact of the contested dam on Egypt and Sudan, which are both downstream of the project.

Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia in March signed a declaration of principles on the dam, agreeing to safeguard the interests of all three. Egypt’s President El-Sisi, who hailed the declaration as a “positive step”, visited Ethiopia in the same month and addressed the country’s parliament, calling for a new era of cooperation.

The dam, scheduled to be completed in 2017, will be Africa’s largest hydroelectric power plant when completed.

Source:Ahram online