Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Sudan's Irrigation Minister in Cairo for Ethiopia's Dam Talks
Ahram Online
Wednesday 26 Oct 2016

Sudan's irrigation minister Moataz Mousa arrived in Cairo late on Tuesday for talks on the mega dam Ethiopia is building on the Nile River, Egypt's state news agency MENA said.

During his two-day stay, Mousa will hold talks with top Egyptian government officials on ways to "boost Egyptian-Sudanese cooperation on the renaissance dam project."

They will also discuss cooperation between both countries on a joint technical authority regulating the Nile waters.

The 6,000-megawatt Grand Renaissance Dam, which is not 70 percent complete, is situated close to Ethiopia's border with Sudan.

In September, Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia signed contracts tasking two French firms, BRL and Artelia, with carrying out studies on the environmental and economic impact of the $4 billion dam. Officials say the studies will start in late 2016 and take 11 months.

The leaders of the three countries signed a cooperation agreement in Khartoum in March 2015 to pave the way for a joint approach to sharing the regional Nile waters.

Egypt has sought assurances the dam will not significantly diminish the flow of the river, its near-exclusive source of irrigation and potable water.

Ethiopia has maintained that the project—which is 70 percent complete—will have no effect on Sudan or Egypt and should benefit all sides.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/246620.aspx

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