Sisi-Ethiopia PM meeting pushed dam talks forward

Irrigation Minister Hossam Moghazi has said the meeting that grouped President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and Ethiopia's Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn on the sidelines of the African Summit contributed to a breakthrough in the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
Moghazi added that he agreed with his Sudanese and Ethiopian counterparts to choose the international firm that will conduct studies on the impact of Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam as soon as possible.
"We have invited five international firms to submit their technical and financial offers in February," he added.
He noted that firms that offered to carry out the studies for over 12 months have been excluded.
"The acceptable period for the studies is five to 12 months at the latest," Moghzi said.
"The Ethiopian side has received a copy of the Egyptian studies on the dam which confirms our concern over the excessive storage capacity of the dam," he stated.