The Ethiopian ambassador to Sudan Mulugeta Zewdie suggested that Egypt is turning the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) into a political issue, which he said is a technical matter. He expressed his surprise over the negative statements from Egyptian media outlets regarding GERD, describing the statements as an attempt to create agendas which are far from the reality. Zewdie added that the negative statements and deliberations are expected but will vanish after the completion of the dam as they will be considered out of date after the people reap its fruits. Ethiopia Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegene said on Saturday that his country will not accept any arbitration by a third party. “Seeking professional support is one thing; transferring it to an institution is another thing.

Source: Egypt Independent January 23, 2018 14:15 UTC