Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia towards ‘Comprehensive Agreement' on Nile Dam

Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam is seen as it undergoes construction work on the river Nile in Guba Woreda, Benishangul Gumuz Region, Ethiopia September 26, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri/File Photo

Eyes in Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia turn to Washington on Tuesday as it hosts a round of negotiations on ‘the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam’ in Addis Ababa.

The meetings – extending for two days – aim to reach a comprehensive agreement on filling and managing the Ethiopian dam. They will be attended by ministers of foreign affairs and irrigation of the three states as well as representatives from the US administration and the World Bank.

In mid-Jan, a joint statement noted that the parties have agreed that the filling of the dam will be “executed in stages” during the wet season, in a manner that will take into account “the potential impact of the filling on downstream reservoirs.”

The parties, however, have not appeared to agree on disputed matters.

Ethiopia has commenced the dam's inauguration in 2011 to generate electricity but Egypt fears its impact on its 55.5 billion cubic meters’ share.

Meanwhile, President of the Arab Parliament Dr. Mishaal Al-Salami affirmed that the Arab Strategy for Water Security issued by the Arab Parliament in its last edition aims to support the Arab states in getting their water rights.

His statement on Sunday read that launching from the Arab Parliament’s responsibility in protecting the Arab national security and its belief that the water security is a pillar thereof, the parliament issued in its Cairo session mid-Jan the Arab Strategy for Water Security to be a reference in achieving Arab water security.

Its purpose is to address challenges of Arab water security, whether natural or humanitarian, through setting up development and legal frameworks to maintain available water resources in the Arab states, said Salami.

He stressed that the document seeks to safeguard sovereign rights of Arab states in joint water resources, confront foreign greed in laying hands over the Arab waters, support Arabs in getting their water rights, defend the water rights of Arab people under occupation, and back coordination and cooperation among Arabs through endorsing a unified vision to ensure legal protection of these rights.