Egyptian Prime Minister had been on an official visit in Addis on Thursday and Friday. The Egyptian news outlet Almasry Alyoum reported Egypt agreed ‘in principle’  to Ethiopia’s new dam on Nile, Grand Renaissance Dam, and reached an agreement to buy electricity from Ethiopia.

Egypt has in principle approved the Renaissance Dam that Ethiopia intends to build on its borders with Sudan this year, according to an official source.

The source added that Prime Minister Essam Sharf and his Ethiopian counterpart have agreed that an Egyptian technical committee examine the blueprints of the dam, so as to determine whether it would adversely affect Egypt’s Nile water quota, and that Egypt might participate in the construction of the dam, which is expected to cost around US$4.7 billion.

An agreement has also been reached by which Egypt and Sudan will buy electricity from Ethiopia’s power station in Mendaya, which has the capacity to provide 1200 megawatts to Sudan and another 2000 to Egypt. A related agreement allows for Egypt to import a large number of Ethiopian livestock.

“More than 30 Egyptian companies have already asked to import meat from Ethiopia due to its high quality and low price,” said Ayman Eissa, head of the Egyptian-Ethiopian Business Council.

He added that Egypt aims to link its economic development to that of Ethiopia, in order to avoid unilateral projects that would harm the interest of either countries.

Here are two more reports of his visit from Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs weekly press release A Week in the Horn and the state owned Ethiopian Radio and Television Agency.

Egypt’s Prime Minister in Ethiopia

A high-level delegation led by the Prime Minister of Egypt, Mr. Essam Sharaf, was visiting Ethiopia today and yesterday. The delegation was welcomed by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ato Hailemariam Desalegn at the airport. It has met and held extensive discussions with Prime Minister Meles and other senior officials. The meeting with Prime Minister Meles covered various issues of common concern and was conducted in a spirit of transparency and mutual understanding. It spelt out the areas necessary to be addressed in order to ensure strong sustainable relations between the two peoples and the two governments. The major point was of course the Nile. Both sides underlined the need to open a new chapter in co-operation, with a comprehensive and integrated development plan to enhance the use of all resources in general, and the Nile waters in particular, in the spirit of a sustained win-win approach.

Both parties agreed on the need to revitalise the Joint Ministerial Commission and that a meeting should be held as soon as possible to consider a comprehensive relationship to involve political, economic and diplomatic relations at bilateral, regional and continental levels. The Commission should look at international issues of common interest. There was agreement that the Nile issue should be treated on a win-win basis and the package for a framework for cooperation must be based on mutual respect and benefit.

Ethiopia made it clear it was prepared to delay the ratification process for the Cooperative Framework Agreement until a permanent government had been established in Egypt, allowing it to look at the CFA comprehensively, and providing time for Egypt to join the process. Both sides also agreed that a joint technical committee of experts from Ethiopia, Egypt and the Sudan as well as other international specialists should consider the technicalities of the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Abbai River, the Blue Nile.

During his visit, Mr. Sharaf will also meet with President Girma Woldegiorghis, and attend the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Ethiopian and Egyptian Chambers of Commerce designed to increase trade and investment. Mr Sharaf, who has also visited Uganda, is accompanied by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Power, Planning and International Cooperation and the Head of Egypt’s General Authority for Investment.

Meles holds talks with Egyptian PM

Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf held talks on Friday with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

The talks between the two premiers were focused on enhancing bilateral relations.

Mr. Sharaf told Meles on the occasion that henceforth, Egypt is set to play a positive role on fair utilization of River Nile.

He said Egypt is not against the dam project that Ethiopia has initiated on the Nile.

The move that was taken by Egypt’s former leaders to prevent Ethiopia from getting support for its Nile-related projects was flawed, he added.

Meles for his part reassured Mr. Sharaf of Ethiopia’s readiness as it used to be to work in partnership with Egypt.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hailemariam Desalegn warmly welcomed the Egyptian PM, who is on a two-day official visit in Ethiopia, on his arrival at the Addis Ababa bole International Airport late Thursday.

He told journalists on arrival a new chapter has been opened for Ethiopia and Egypt to work in partnership for mutual development.

During his stay in Ethiopia, Mr. Sharaf is expected to confer with other senior Ethiopian government officials including President Girma Woldegiorgis.