CAIRO, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry on Thursday met with his counterpart of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to discuss efforts to resume talks on the controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Shoukry stressed that all parties should reach "a legally binding agreement on the rules of filling and operating the dam" as soon as possible, adding the vision of DRC President Felix Tshisekedi, the current chairperson of the African Union (AU), over resuming talks contributes positively to solving the issue.
For his part, DRC Foreign Minister Christophe Lutundula said that talks with the Egyptian side were positive and will help in finding a legal solution for Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan.
"My visit to Cairo, Khartoum and Addis Ababa comes upon directives of President Tshisekedi to deliver a message of hope and trust to all sides," the DRC diplomat said, stressing that Africa needs unity and integration among its countries.
Lutundula also hailed the United Nations Security Council's statement on Wednesday encouraging Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia to continue the AU-sponsored talks on the GERD.
Ethiopia, which started building the GERD in 2011, expects to produce more than 6,000 megawatts of electricity from the dam project, while Egypt and Sudan, downstream Nile Basin countries that rely on the Nile river for its freshwater needs, are concerned that the GERD will affect their shares of the water resources. Enditem