– To sign document in the near future
ADDIS ABABA- Minister of Water, Irrigation and Energy, Dr. Selashi Bekele said that Ethiopia will sign the final comprehensive document of GERD next week or by the end of February after making sure its clarity.
Dr. Selashi told a press conference yesterday that Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan are dealing with four distinct binding documents regarding the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). The first, annex 1, is a technical document that is more or less done sorting out our differences. However, minor issues remain to be resolved.
The remaining three items have to do with legal provisions, issues related to peaceful settlement of the differences, coordination mechanisms and data exchange, he added. The three countries’ legal teams have been dealing with these issues and working togeather in Washington.”
“Hopefully, we will be ready to sign the document until next week. And if there are differences, the ministers are going to resolve them in their meetings in the presence of the World Bank and the US government.” Indicating that Ethiopia is committed to signing the documents, he reiterated the country will not sign each document separately. Rather, it will sign the comprehensive document once everything is settled.
This will be done after making sure that the documents don’t contradict each other. “The comprehensive document should be crystal clear, understandable for all of us and not open space for misinterpretations.”
Asked whether the negotiators have been put under pressure by external and internal parties, he said; “indeed there is pressure. The pressure is there on the negotiators, on the country, and on the respective countries. As the issue is a serious matter, we have to look into win-win solutions for all.”
In principle, Ethiopia is committed to equitable and fair utilization of the Nile waters and does not opt to cause significant harm to the downstream countries. Taking into account the enormous benefit GERD bestows on the region, “I think we coming up with the best solutions,” Selashi said.
The Ethiopian Herald, February 6/2020
BY GIRMACHEW GASHAW
