Sudan says GERD negotiations still possible

Sudanese Minister of Irrigation Yasser Abbas has welcomed Egypt's support for the quartet mediation proposal in Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), stressing that negotiations are still possible.

In an exclusive interview with 'Al-Arabiya' news website, the Sudanese minister said that GERD should be 'a gesture of regional cooperation and not a tool for political hegemony.'

"We demand that GERD storage process take at least two months," Abbas said.

[caption id="attachment_218688" align="alignleft" width="300"] GERD[/caption]

He also added that Ethiopia 'must turn words into actions,' especially as it announced before that it would proceed with the unilateral filling process without reaching a binding deal.

It is worth mentioning that, Ethiopia commented, Wednesday, on the joint statement issued by Egypt and Sudan on Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

In press statements, Ethiopian Foreign Ministry spokesman Dina Mufti said, “Ethiopia believes in continuing the negotiations in a positive spirit through the African Union (AU) headed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”

Al-Mufti also affirmed that Ethiopia ‘is ready to negotiate in a good faith’ to reach a binding legal agreement with Egypt and Sudan on GERD.

The Ethiopian comment comes after Egypt and Sudan foreign ministers (FMs) demanded, on Tuesday, Ethiopia to show goodwill and engage in an effective negotiation process.

The two countries underlined the importance of reaching a binding legal deal on the filling and operating of the GERD that would achieve the interests of the three countries and preserve the water rights of Egypt and Sudan.