Ethiopia said it is willing to resume the African Union (AU) led tripartite talks on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) with Egypt and Sudan. an official has said..
Ethiopia’s Former Minister of Water, Irrigation, and Energy, and later Chief negotiator for the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Seleshi Bekele Monday said Ethiopia insists for the AU led negotation with Egypt and Sudan.
Bekele, who is currently serving as Ethiopian Ambassador to the United States over the weekend disclosed Ethiopia’s position that the AU led negotiations must resume.
His remark came after Bekele held discussion with Ambassador Mike Hammer, who was appointed as U.S. Special Envoy to the Horn of Africa earlier late last year.
Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, too, has expressed Ethiopia’s willingness in the continuation of the African Union-led tripartite talk over GERD which is said to be over 90 percent completed at this point.
Dina Mufti, the spokesperson, has told journalists in Addis Ababa this week, during a briefing, that the third round of filling the reservoir will take place this year too.
From the first and second phases of filling, Ethiopia seizes the rainy months of July and August to fill the reservoir.
So far, the Dam has over 18 billion cubic metres of water, and Ethiopia has already started generating hydroelectric power from two turbines, based on claims from Ethiopian government sources.
When the project is completed, it is expected to generate more than 6000 MW of power with which Ethiopia aspires to achieve ensuring access to electricity for more than 65 percent of its 120 million populations.
Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia had been negotiating over Ethiopia’s Mega Dam on the Blue Nile for many years now but without any success.
MG/abj/APA