A new round of negotiations between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) will be held in Addis Ababa in September with the aim of reaching a legally binding agreement about the filling and operation of the dam.
Experts were skeptical that the new negotiations would yield the desired results given that the latest round of talks, held in Cairo on Sunday and Monday, were inconclusive.
Egypt did not sense any tangible changes in Ethiopia's stance during the Cairo talks, said a statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources on Monday.
“Egypt will continue its intense efforts to reach a legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of the GERD,” stressed the ministry.
“The agreement must safeguard Egypt's interests, protect its water security, and preserve the interests of all three countries,” it added.
This demands that all negotiating parties adopt a comprehensive vision that includes the protection of national interests to reflect positively on the September talks, it stated.
Spokesperson for Egypt’s Irrigation and Water Resources Ministry Mohamed Ghanem said in televised remarks on Monday that Addis Ababa's stances serve Ethiopia’s interests alone.
“There are technical proposals that we have submitted, which take into account the interests of Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia, according to a binding legal agreement.”
Ethiopia's foreign ministry said: "The parties exchanged views to reach a win-win situation."
It stressed that Ethiopia will strive to conclude tripartite negotiations based on the principle of fair and reasonable use of water while securing its own share of the Nile water.
Observers said that Ethiopia is maintaining its previous stance on the GERD.
Cairo and Khartoum are calling for a binding legal agreement that regulates the filling and operation of the dam, while Ethiopia is pushing for the construction of the hydroelectric dam, claiming its right to development by exploiting its water resources.
Former Egyptian Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Mohamed Nasr Eldin Allam told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Cairo talks ended without any declared results, which he interpreted as a “waste of effort.”
Expressing his skepticism, he noted that Ethiopia claims that it wants an agreement that pleases Egypt and Sudan, and yet, it completed the fourth filling of the damn without consulting with anyone and even before the Cairo talks were held.
Last month, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed agreed to resume negotiations and reach an agreement over the GERD within four months.
