Khartoum — Khartoum hosted a tripartite meeting between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan about the Renaissance Dam that Ethiopia is building in the Blue Nile 15 kilometers from the border with Sudan.

Bilateral meetings between Sudan and Egypt on the one hand and Sudan and Ethiopia on the other hand led to yesterday's tripartite meeting.

In response to a question about Ethiopia's plan to start filling up the reservoir behind the dam the coming month, Irrigation Minister Abbas answered: "This is an essential part of the negotiations that we are conducting now.

Ethiopia started building the Renaissance Dam in 2011 without consulting Egypt or Sudan.

Especially Egypt, but Sudan as well, fears a temporary reduction of water availability in the Nile due to the filling of the reservoir, and a permanent reduction because of evaporation from the reservoir.