FM Stresses Need for Shared Consensus on GERD in Nile Riparian States

Addis Ababa, August 15/2020(ENA) A virtual meeting aimed at forging a joint front and shared consensus on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam among all Ethiopian missions and citizens residing in the Nile River riparian states kicked off today. 

Opening the virtual meeting, Foreign Affairs Minister Gedu Andargachew urged Ethiopians to continue contributing financial and technical support to the construction of the dam.

The minister said since the Nile river basin holds two-thirds of Ethiopia’s water resources, utilizing it is a matter of sovereignty and an essential requirement for the development of the country.

Upon completion, the flagship project will enable millions of Ethiopians to get access to electricity, engage in newly created jobs and uplift themselves out of poverty, he elaborated.

The minister noted that the dam corrects historical imbalances and sets the relationship among the Nile River riparian states on the right track.

Gedu stated that GERD initiated the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) by recognizing the right of all the Nile River riparian states, including Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, and South Sudan to utilize the water resource too.