Ethiopia hopes the United States will reverse its decision to freeze some financial aid to the African country over the deadlock in the Renaissance dam talks, given the long-term partnership between the two nations, Ambassador to Russia Alemayehu Tegenu told Sputnik
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th October, 2020) Ethiopia hopes the United States will reverse its decision to freeze some financial aid to the African country over the deadlock in the Renaissance dam talks, given the long-term partnership between the two nations, Ambassador to Russia Alemayehu Tegenu told Sputnik.
In early September, a US State Department official told the AP news agency that Washington was suspending a portion of its aid to Ethiopia after the latter started filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in July, which has been a source of its major dispute with neighboring Egypt and Sudan. The sum in question is reportedly $100 million.
"The relations that we have with the United States are not short-time relations, it's about 117-year relation. I think this problem will be very temporary for us; we believe it will be negotiated," Tegenu said.
According to the diplomat, the launch of the filling process is already a fait accompli.
"The dam filling is already done, it is already filled. There is no issue for an initial filling. It is already in declaration of principle that the three countries have signed in 2015. The dam filling is part of the construction; the construction is going on. It is an ongoing procedure, so there is no reason to reject the dam filing," he argued.
The GERD dam has been under construction by Ethiopia since 2011 and is set to become Africa's largest, but Egypt and Sudan fear it might jeopardize their own water security.
The three countries have held dozens of rounds of talks but failed to agree on how soon the dam should be filled. Ethiopia, which deems the hydroelectric project vital to its economic growth, is pushing for a shorter period. Egypt and Sudan are seeking an extension amid fears that the large dam would slash their access to water.
