The Sudanese proposal aims at introducing the UN to the talks and turning the four parties into mediators, rather than mere observers.
Means of re-launching negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) to conclude a fair and binding legal agreement for filling and operating the dam featured high on the agenda of a high-profile meeting held Sunday.
Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Aati met Sunday with the US Special Envoy to Sudan, Ambassador Donald Booth, and the European Union (EU) envoy.
During the meeting, Minister Abdel Aati reviewed the history of the talks, and stressed Egypt’s clear vision to complete the negotiations, emphasising Egypt’s right to preserve its water rights.
He also reiterated Egypt’s support for the Sudanese proposal that calls for the formation of an international quartet led by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with the participation of the US, the EU and the United Nations, to mediate among the three countries for reaching a satisfactory solution on the issue.
The Sudanese proposal aims at introducing the UN to the talks and turning the four parties into mediators, rather than mere observers. It is important for the negotiations to be effective and serious in order to maximise chances of success, the minister said.
Abdel Aati pointed out that the unilateral measures taken by the Ethiopian side regarding filling and operating the dam would incur huge negative repercussions.
Cairo seeks to achieve benefits for all the African countries through a fair and binding legal agreement on GERD that could achieve aspirations in development and construction.
Cairo and Khartoum have been in talks with Addis Ababa for a decade to reach a legally binding agreement on the filling and operating of the $4.8 billion mega-dam, which has been under construction on the Blue Nile since 2011.
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