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Egypt skeptical of Ethiopia's call to resume Nile Dam talks

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said "no one will touch Egypt's water" as Ethiopia prepares for the third filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
Ethiopian Minister of Water, Irrigation and Electricity Seleshi Bekele.

CAIRO — Ethiopia’s Ambassador to the United States Seleshi Bekele recently called for a return to the negotiating table regarding outstanding issues with the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) — an invitation that fell on deaf ears in Cairo and Khartoum at a time when Addis Ababa is preparing to complete the third filling of the dam’s reservoir during the flood season expected to start in early July.

During a June 10 meeting with US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Michael Hammer, Bekele — who also holds the position of the chief negotiator in the GERD talks — stressed his country’s interest in resuming the tripartite negotiations led by the African Union (AU). 

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