Egypt’s FM visits Ethiopia Sunday for talks over dam dispute
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr to visit Ethiopia next week, most likely on Sunday and Monday, state-run MENA news agency quoted diplomatic sources as saying Friday.
Amr would visit the Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, and Juba, capital of South Sudan, as well in the coming days, the sources added.
There are ongoing consultations on the possibility of holding tripartite meetings between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia in order to reach a solution to pending problems between the three countries, especially the crisis of the Renaissance Dam, the sources continued.
The sources added that Egypt seeks diplomatic negotiations with Ethiopia with the participation of Sudan in order to persuade Ethiopia to provide further studies and information about the Renaissance Dam and discuss the possibility of concluding an agreement between the three countries.
The agreement would vow that the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam does not harm Egypt and Sudan shares of the Nile water, by reducing the amount of water stored behind the dam so as to go much below 75 billion cubic meters.
In order not to harm Egypt and Sudan shares, the water has to be stored over a period longer than 5 years and to take into account the risk of earthquakes and forests surrounding the dam, which would affect the quality of water flowing to Egypt from the Blue Nile, the diplomatic sources said.
The sources added that Ethiopia needs funds from international institutions such as the World Bank in order to construct the dam, and therefore must obtain the consent of Egypt and Sudan in accordance with the international law.
Edited translation from MENA
