Addis-Ababa(Mogadishu24)-The second round of trilateral talks between Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) began on Saturday, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The discussions centred on the first filling and annual operations of the dam, with a major focus on the draft and rules.

The head of the Ethiopian negotiating team, Ambassador Seleshi Bekele, underlined the importance of these talks following the completion of the fourth round of filling, aligning with the 2015 Declaration of Principles.

He stated that this round is an important talk for the project and would yield resolutions to pending issues.

Ambassador Bekele reaffirmed Ethiopia’s commitment to the equitable and reasonable utilization of Nile waters, as outlined in the 2015 Declaration of Principles, as the most suitable approach to ensure that the river can be efficiently used by all the three countries.

“This morning, we started the second round of trilateral negotiation on GERD in Addis Ababa. Ethiopia is guided by the principle of equitable and reasonable utilization of the Nile and works for amicable outcome. Construction and Filling of the GERD is in compliance with the Declaration of Principles,” said Amb. Seleshi Bekele.

The representatives from the three countries expressed their satisfaction to reach a mutually agreeable solution through these trilateral negotiations.

Egypt’s Minister of Water and Irrigation, Prof. Hani Sewilam and Sudan’s Acting Minister of Water, Dawelbeit Abdelrahman Mansour Basher, reiterated the commitment to an agreement in their respective opening remarks.

The talks among these states are expected to be concluded today on Sunday with results.