Negotiations between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam have resumed in Cairo, the Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation revealed on Sunday.
In mid-July, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed decided to resume talks on the contentious hydropower project on the Blue Nile, agreeing to make every effort to reach a deal in four months.
"Negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) resumed this Sunday morning in Cairo. Delegations from Egypt, Ethiopia, and the Sudan participated in a new round of talks," the ministry's statement read.
Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilam emphasized during the negotiations the importance of reaching an agreement on the rules of filling and operation of the dam, which would accommodate the interests of the three countries.
"He reaffirmed Egypt's conviction that there are multiple technical and legal solutions that meet the needs and interests of all three countries and that would enable reaching the requisite balanced agreement," the ministry said.
The tensions between the three African countries reached their peak in the summer of 2020, as Ethiopia started filling the reservoir without having agreed on that with the other two states. In July 2021, Ethiopia finished the second stage of the reservoir filling. In August 2022, the third stage was completed.