Egypt Opposes Delaying of Renaissance Dam Negotiations

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Egypt has turned down calls to delay the tripartite meeting with Sudan and Ethiopia in Khartoum next month in a bid to arrive at a satisfactory agreement on Ethiopia’s controversial Renaissance Dam project.

Egyptian Minister of Irrigation, Hossam Maghazi noted that a proposal to call off the meeting was due to Ethiopia’s preoccupations with the Great Lakes meeting, stating that Egypt suggested holding the meeting on August 13, 14 or 15 in Khartoum.

Maghazi expected a breakthrough in the ongoing crisis between the two countries over the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, as both sides expressed a desire to find a solution outlined in the joint statement by President, Abdel-Fatah al-Sisi and Ethiopian Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn.
He disclosed that the meeting in Khartoum will debate whether the international party should assume its mission with the start of detailed studies on the project or after the finalisation of work carried out by national committees.

Maghazi said Egypt demanded assurances from Ethiopia regarding the safety of the body of the Dam, the filling system and operating policies in general.

”We are awaiting a reply to Egypt’s inquiries about the safety of the Dam with its present dimensions, although direct contact and negotiations is the best way to resolve these differences,” he added