Friday, October 17, 2014

Ethiopian dam talks conclude in Cairo, to resume next month

Oct 17, 2014, (Cairo))--Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan are negotiating the details of fresh studies on the impact of the Blue Nile dam. A second round of talks between the Egyptian, Ethiopian and Sudanese irrigation ministers regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam concluded on Friday, with a third round of talks scheduled a month from now, MENA reported.

The dam, currently under construction on the Blue Nile in the Ethiopian highlands, has been a source of worry for Egyptian officials who believe it will affect the amount of Nile water reaching downstream Egypt. Ethiopia has denied that it will have any adverse affects.

At a press conference on Friday, the irrigation ministers said they had agreed to receive offers from seven consultancy firms who will conduct more studies on the dam's possible effects. They will settle on one or two firms during their meeting next month. A location for next month's meeting is yet to be disclosed.

The seven selected firms include firms from Germany, Switzerland, France, Holland, and Australia, Sudan's irrigation minister Moatez Moussa told MENA.

The best candidate, according to Moussa, will be chosen based on competence, reputation and cost. In addition, a British law firm was selected to handle all financial and administrative issues related to the consultancy. Read more from Ahram Online »

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