A general view of Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam, as it undergoes construction, is seen during a media tour along the river Nile in Benishangul Gumuz Region, Guba Woreda, in Ethiopia March 31, 2015. Picture taken March 31, 2015 - REUTER/Tiksa Negeri
CAIRO - 18 November 2019: Ethiopian Ambassador to Egypt Dina Mufti said on Monday that there is a state of optimism within the Ethiopian Government regarding the recent Renaissance Dam negotiations.
This came during Mufti's phone-in on "Hekaya" program, where she indicated thatit is expected there will be more progress in the coming period and that these negotiations are considered a step forward for the three countries.
Muftistated that the three countries have the ability to reach a solution without any mediation, stressing that she knows that the Nile water is as important to Egyptians as it is to Ethiopians as it is necessary for electricity generation and development.
Egypt will host the second round of a four-meeting series between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam [GERD] on December 2-3, announced Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Abdel-Atti after the end of the first round in Addis Ababa on Nov.16.
In the meetings, Egypt proposed that 40 billion cubic meters of water should be allowed to reach Egypt and Sudan,while the Ethiopian proposal suggested that 31 billion cubic meters should be allowed to reach both countries.
Egypt and Ethiopia are at loggerheads over the $4-billion dam; Cairo voiced concern over its water share [55.5 billion cubic meters] after Ethiopia started building the dam on the Blue Nile in May 2011.
A series of tripartite talks between the two countries along with Sudan began in 2014. One year later, the three countries signed the Declaration of Principles, per which the downstream countries [Egypt and Sudan] should not be negatively affected by the construction of the dam.
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