Sudanese sources said on Saturday seven main issues will be tackled in the eastern Nile countries’ technical experts meetings that will start on Sunday in Khartoum.
An agreement will be signed to guarantee approach between points of view on the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project. Parties will consider mechanisms of the dam’s administration and operation as well as economic, social and environmental impacts.
The meeting will discuss agreement on financing the dam and timeline to implement recommendations of the international committee which evaluates the dam, the sources added. The Sudanese government is trying to overcome the current impasse of conflicts between Egypt and Ethiopia.
Parties will also consider resuming studies on the dam's safety, according to sources, which added that the Sudanese government is trying to reassure citizens in al-Qadarif state, located on the Ethiopian-Sudanese border, after the Ethiopian side offered practical vows over these studies.
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir instructed ministries taking part in meetings of the technical experts or the ministries to work on success of the negotiations, especially that Khartoum is the sponsor to approach points of view between Cairo and Addis Ababa, the sources added.
On Monday, a meeting will be held among the three countries’ water ministers to agree on future of cooperation between them and mechanisms of implementing the recommendations
Meanwhile, the sources accused unnamed foreign parties of creating division between Egypt and Sudan. They considered that the meeting between the three countries' water ministers will push relations forward during the coming period and encourage both Egyptian and Sudanese governments to open the common land road to increase rates of trade between Cairo and Khartoum.
However, Sudanese experts and observers assured that Khartoum seeks resumption of talks following disputes that took place in the earlier meeting on 4 November. Agreement between the three countries’ ministers to resume the meeting in Khartoum confirms that Sudan is keen on success of the negotiations to find a solution for the impasse and achieve comprehensive compromise between the Nile Basin countries that guarantees full administration of the Nile water resources. This also expresses interest in carrying out joint projects to link electricity between the basin countries and then export electricity to European Union countries via Egypt.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
