Tripartite meeting to be held in Cairo to discuss findings on Ethiopia’s Renaissance Dam impact

Egyptian irrigation minister Hossam Moghazi said the next tripartite meeting will take place in Cairo on the first of July to discuss the findings of the two European consultancy firms that conducted studies on the impact of Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam, MENA reported Sunday.

Moghazi said that Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan will receive the French Artelia Group and the Dutch company reports on the impact of the dam on 22 June so they can read it and discuss it during their meeting in the Egyptian capital.

The last tripartite meeting also took place in Cairo early May, when representatives from the three countries met during a two-day visit to discuss the latest developments.

Moghazi expressed his optimism ahead of the meeting that is scheduled to discuss the technical and financial results of the impact of the Renaissance Dam provided by of the consultancy firms.

Alaa Yassin, advisor to the minister of water resources and irrigation, told MENA that the delay was due to a request from the two firms for additional time to prepare and submit the “Revised Technical Report”, to be able to respond to the requirements of the three countries (Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia).

In March, Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia signed a declaration of principles on the dam, agreeing to safeguard the interests of all three countries. Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah 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.

source:Ahram online