Speaker of the Sudanese Parliament al-Fatih Izz al-Din has left for Benishangul-Gumuz regional state to visit the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a Sudanese diplomat said on Sunday.
“Speaker al-Fatih Izz al-Din is the first foreign high official to visit the dam,” the diplomat told Anadolu Agency.
He said that the visit to the dam “indicates close relation between Ethiopia and Sudan.”
Egyptian and Sudanese water ministers are scheduled to visit GERD on September 22.
The Sudanese parliament speaker arrived in Addis Ababa on Saturday upon an invitation from his Ethiopian counterpart Abadula Gemeda for talks aimed at strengthening ties between the two parliaments.
In recent years, Ethiopia-Egypt ties have been marred by Ethiopia’s construction of GERD on the upper reaches of the Nile River – Egypt’s primary water source.
Ethiopia says the dam is necessary for its national development plans.
It insists the dam won’t impact Egypt’s traditional share of Nile water, which has long been determined by a colonial-era water-sharing treaty that Addis Ababa has never acknowledged.
Related articles on the web
Ethiopia ‘determined to share Nile water’
Ethiopia and Sudan Are Working to Bring Egypt to Dialogue Over the Gerd
Ethiopia, Egypt differ on Nile dam statement
Ethiopia, Egypt to resume Nile dam talks on Aug. 26
Egypt, Ethiopia to form joint committee on Renaissance Dam
Egypt’s Sisi Meets Ethiopian Pm
President El-Sisi says won’t allow rift with Ethiopia
Ethiopia, Egypt ‘agree’ to resume tripartite talks
Unquietly flows the Nile, through Ethiopia for Egypt
Ethiopia dam talks to resume Monday
Ethiopia should build ‘smaller dam’: Minister of Irrigation
Egypt-Ethiopia dam impasse remains as talks reach dead-end
Join Conversations