6-Party meeting on Ethiopia dam kicks off in Khartoum

A meeting on the Renaissance Dam between the foreign and irrigation ministers of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia kicked off Friday in Sudan's Khartoum.

The six-party meeting tackles technical aspects of the deadlocked Renaissance Dam talks, along with Cairo's concerns about the accelerated construction rates, which are not commensurate with progress made by the technical committees studying impacts of the dam on Egypt.

Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said that the meeting is being held in the right time to push forward negotiations and resolve outstanding differences between the three countries.

He added that the agreement of principles, signed by the leaders of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia in Khartoum in March, forms the basis for a cooperative relationship between the three countries on the Renaissance Dam file.

The six-party meeting aims to discuss the Egyptian concerns from the technical and political aspects, the minister said.

Shoukry and Irrigation Minister Hossam Moghazy arrived in Khartoum on Thursday to attend the meeting.

Upon arrival, Moghazy said Friday's meeting is meant to push for a start of the implementation of required technical studies after Egypt found it necessary that all six ministers meet ahead of the 10th round of talks in order to solve pending problems.

Sources: MENA