KHARTOUM, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Irrigation ministers of Sudan, Egypt, and Ethiopia on Saturday agreed to continue consultations to reach a resolution regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
The three ministers on Saturday concluded a two-day meeting in the Sudanese capital Khartoum.
"The tripartite meeting of the ministers of irrigation and water resources exchanged different views regarding the GERD, where the three parties will continue work to resolve the points of difference," Yasir Abbas, Sudan's minister of Irrigation and Water Resources, said at a press conference in Khartoum.
"It has been agreed to continue consultations among the three ministers to specify the next steps, including the date of the coming meeting," he added.
He went on saying that "there is a great progress regarding the overall work of the tripartite committee. There are some differences, but there is a great progress achieved."
Egypt fears that the construction of the GERD would affect its share in the Nile water, while Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has repeatedly vowed that the dam will not harm Egypt.
The GERD, extending on an area of 1,800 square km, is scheduled to be completed in three years at a cost of 4.7 billion U.S. dollars.
