Ethiopia, Egypt, Sudan Agree to Reach Agreement by January

Addis Ababa November 7/2019 The foreign ministers of Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan agreed to work towards reaching an agreement by January regarding the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

The foreign ministers and their delegations met with the Secretary of the Treasury and the President of the World Bank yesterday in Washington, D.C.

The joint statement issued said the ministers agreed to ‘work toward completion of an agreement by January 15, 2020’.

They reaffirmed the significance of the Nile to the development of the people of the three countries, the importance of trans-boundary cooperation, and their shared interest in concluding an agreement.    

The ministers reaffirmed their joint commitment to reach a ‘comprehensive, cooperative, adaptive, sustainable, and mutually beneficial’ agreement.

They also agreed to establish a ‘clear process for fulfilling that commitment in accordance with the 2015 Declaration of Principles’, the statement said.

According to the statement, the ministers will hold four technical governmental meetings at the level of water ministers, in which the World Bank and the United States attend as observers.

They also agreed to attend two meetings in Washington, D.C. on December 9 and January 13, 2020, to assess and support progress.

If an agreement is not reached by January 15, 2020, the foreign ministers agree that Article 10 of the 2015 Declaration of Principles will be invoked.

Article 10 states that the three countries will settle disputes, arising out of the interpretation or implementation of the agreement, amicably through consultation or negotiation.

If the parties are unable to resolve the dispute through consultation or negotiation, they may jointly request for conciliation, mediation or refer the matter for the consideration of the heads of state/heads of government.