We’re no closer to an agreement over the GERD: The latest round of talks between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) have failed to break the deadlock over ending the years-long dispute, Egypt’s Irrigation Ministry said yesterday. Two days of talks in Addis Ababa ended yesterday without any “substantive” progress,” the ministry said, blaming the Ethiopians for refusing to compromise.

The sides will meet for a third round of talks in Cairo in the second half of October, Irrigation Ministry spokesperson Mohamed Ghanem said in a televised interview last night (watch, runtime: 3:10 | 3:02 | 3:30). El Hekaya host Amr Adib urged Egypt to have a “plan B” in case Ethiopia continues to unilaterally fill and operate the dam, without elaborating.

Chinese delegation arrives in Egypt for talks: President Abdel Fattah El Sisi met with a high-level Chinese delegation for economic ties and political talks in Cairo yesterday, Ittihadiya said in a statement. The two sides discussed Egypt’s position in Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, with the Chinese delegation expressing their interest in the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) as a strategic route linking East to West, according to the readout. Trade ties, industry localization, and climate action, as well as undisclosed regional issues, were also discussed.

FYI- The delegation is being led by Li Xi, one of the most senior figures in the Chinese Communist Party. Li serves on the party’s seven-member Standing Committee, its most powerful decision-making body.

Remember: The delegation is in Egypt to attend the annual meeting of the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), which takes place on 25 and 26 September.

China has stepped up its focus on Egypt this year: A slew of Chinese companies have recently pledged to increase their manufacturing footprints in the SCZone, while the developer behind the TEDA industrial area in Ain Sokhna is reportedly considering a significant expansion of the zone. Read more in our previous coverage: here | here | here | here.

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