A full agreement on GERD is close if drought issue is resolved, MWI

CAIRO – 4 July 2020: The Egyptian Minister of Irrigation Mohamed El-Sebaei said Saturday that 95 percent of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam  (GERD) will be completed if the “drought” part during either filling or operating the dam is resolved.

He added that in case a vivid mechanism is reached regarding the water level required for the filling, the negotiations will be close to a full agreement.

 El-Sebaei added in press statements that Sudan is having a technical dispute that revolves around the safety of the dam and its water flow towards the Sudanese lands, noting that a third part may mediate in case a resolution was not found.

He pointed out that the current round of negotiations had witnessed a dispute over some points, adding that Egypt is keen to reach an agreement that preserves everyone’s water rights without harming the Egyptian rights.

He said that Egypt seeks to reach a legally binding agreement over GERD as the Nile waters considered to be a matter of existence to Egypt.

The international monitors from the United States, European Union, and South Africa attended today’s meetings on GERD. The international monitors will meet on Sunday the representatives of the three countries, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan, to discuss the disputable points of today’s meeting.