World Bank preliminarily agrees to participate in GERD talks

The World Bank has preliminarily agreed to participate in tripartite negotiations over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Al Masry Al Youm reports, citing unidentified sources. The bank’s participation in the talks, which Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry had proposed during a visit to Addis Ababa last month, would be in a technical capacity to solve disagreements between Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia over the construction of the dam. Ethiopian Foreign Minister Workneh Gebeyehu had not commented on Shoukry’s proposal. The World Bank is expected to reach a final decision on its participation before Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn visits Cairo this month, according to the sources.