The first round of GERD talks between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan in two years have ended without a breakthrough, the Egyptian Irrigation Ministry said in a statement yesterday. The discussions “did not witness any tangible change in the Ethiopian position,” a ministry spokesperson said. In a shorter statement, the Ethiopian foreign ministry said only that the “parties exchanged views to reach a win-win situation.”

Remember: The leaders of Egypt and Ethiopia pledged in July to finalize an agreement within four months on the filling and operation of the USD 4.6 bn hydroelectric dam. Ethiopia has been unilaterally filling the dam’s reservoir for the past three years without an agreement, inflaming tensions between the two countries.

Both sides vowed to reach an agreement but the song remains the same:

  • Egypt said it was exerting efforts to reach an agreement “as soon as possible,” and called on Addis Ababa to recognize its concerns about the dam’s impact on its water security.
  • “ Ethiopia will endeavor to conclude the trilateral negotiation based on the principle of equitable and reasonable utilization while ensuring its rightful share of the Nile waters,” said the country’s foreign ministry.

What’s next: Officials from the three countries will gather in the Ethiopian capital for a new round of talks in September, the Ethiopian foreign ministry said.

The news got attention internationally: Bloomberg | The National.

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