The agreement sets forth "principles governing cooperation between the three countries on the use of the eastern Nile Basin and the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam," Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told a press conference in Khartoum Friday morning.
Egypt has repeatedly voiced anxiety the dam, which when finished will have a 74 billion cubic metre reservoir on the Nile’s largest tributary, fearing its water supply could be effected.
But Addis Ababa has repeatedly affirmed the 6,000 MW dam, that will be Africa's biggest hydro station, will not harm downstream countries of Egypt and Sudan.
Shoukry said the deal will usher in "the beginning of further cooperation' between the three states. His Ethiopian counterpart Tedros Adhanom said the agreed principles would open "new chapter" in relations between the three states.
The pact will be sent to the heads of the three states to give their seal of approval, Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Ahmed Karti said, at the end of three days of tripartite talks between the countries' foreign and water ministers.
The ministers did not elaborate further on the details of the deal which aims to resolve the dispute over the mega-project. Egyptian Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Hossam Moghazy said the name of the consultancy firm that will carry out new water and environmental studies on the dam, in fulfillment of an agreement made between the three countries last year, will be announced on 9 March.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/124597.aspx
6/3/15
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Selection of firm for Renaissance Dam impact study delayed: Egypt official...
ReplyDeleteEgypt, Sudan and Ethiopia's tripartite expert committee has delayed choosing a consulting firm to conduct an environmental impact study of Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam, Egypt’s state news agency MENA reported on Monday.
Last year, the three countries agreed to choose a consulting firm to assess the environmental impacts of Ethiopia building the controversial dam on the Blue Nile, the Nile’s largest tributary.
The selection process has been ongoing for months.
Egypt has repeatedly voiced anxiety that the dam, to include a 74 billion cubic metre reservoir on the Blue Nile when finished, will adversely affect its water supply.
Addis Ababa has however claimed that the dam will not harm downstream countries Egypt and Sudan, and has continued construction.
Four consulting companies have been shortlisted and each country has examined their offers separately, Alaa Yassin, spokesperson for the Ethiopian dam issue at Egypt's irrigation ministry, told MENA.
In a third round of talks in Khartoum that ended on Sunday, the three countries concluded that several enquiries of the four companies should be answered before the final selection.
Sudan was assigned the task of following up with the companies, Yassin said.
It is not clear when a consulting firm will finally be selected, but the enquiries should be answered “within days”, he said.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/124819.aspx
9/3/15
Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan sign deal to end Nile dispute...
ReplyDeleteThree African leaders have signed an initial deal to end a long-running dispute over the sharing of Nile waters and the building of Africa's biggest hydroelectric dam, in Ethiopia.
The leaders of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan signed the agreement in Sudan's capital, Khartoum.
Egypt has opposed the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, saying it would worsen its water shortages.
Ethiopia says the dam will give it a fairer share of Nile waters.
In 2013, Ethiopia's parliament ratified a controversial treaty to replace colonial-era agreements that gave Egypt and Sudan the biggest share of the Nile's water.
Egypt's then-President Mohamed Morsi said he did not want war but he would not allow Egypt's water supply to be endangered by the dam.............http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-32016763
23/3/15