Irrigation Minister Mohamed Abdel Aty left to Addis Ababa yesterday for talks on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD),  according to a ministry statement. Abdel Aty will meet with his counterparts from Sudan and Ethiopia to resume tripartite negotiations over the USD 4 bn hydroelectric project. The talks will be aimed at “narrowing misunderstandings and gaps” over the dam and work through pending issues, Ethiopia’s irrigation minister said, according to Xinhua. Tensions rose between the three neighbors last year, before they agreed to arrive at “joint vision” for the dam’s construction, which would see Ethiopia catering its timeline of filling the dam to Egypt’s needs in exchange for economic cooperation. Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry had reported “positive” results from talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed last month.