Water ministers from Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt on Tuesday started trilateral ministerial discussion in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa on the filling of Ethiopia’s grand dam. The Ethiopian Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a 74,000 million cubic meters hydroelectric dam under construction on the Blue Nile River that originates from Ethiopia and shared among the three countries has been at the centre of recent talks between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt. The three countries’ water ministers, during their meetings, are expected to discuss the findings of the National Independent Research Group on filling operation of GERD, according to Ethiopia’s state news agency ENA. Ethiopia’s Water, Irrigation and Electricity Minister Selishi Bekele said during the opening of the ministerial meeting on Tuesday that the meeting is expected to deliberate on pending issues that aimed at narrowing misunderstandings and gaps. While Ethiopia and Sudan reached mutual consensus on the construction of the 6,450 MW hydro dam, Egypt frequently expressed its concern that the dam would affect its share of the river.

Source: Ethiopian News September 26, 2018 21:45 UTC