Water Ministers Agree to Send Update Letters to AU Executive Council

Addis Ababa, August 29/2020( ENA) The ministers of water affairs of Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt have agreed to send their respective update letter to the Chairperson of AU Executive Council Naledi Pandor, the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa .

The ministers reached the conclusion at the end of the recent discussion about the current progress of negotiation on first filling and operation of the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) yesterday.

The meeting is expected to reconvene on 14 September 2020, subject to confirmation of the date by Sudan.

The meeting was attended by observers from South Africa, EU, USA and experts assigned by the AU Bureau of Assembly.

According to the press release of Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy, the meeting considered the report of technical teams on the progress of the week-long negotiation on the guidelines and rules on the first filling and annual operation of the GERD.

The technical teams of the three countries met virtually since 18 August, 2020 and agreed to send their respective update letter to the Chairperson of AU Executive Council Naledi Pandor, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa.