Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan agreed to hold another round of talks on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in Addis Ababa on 9 and 10 January 2020 after wrapping up the latest round of negotiations in Khartoum yesterday, according to an Irrigation Ministry statement. The statement indicates the three countries have yet to reach an agreement on the timeline for filling the dam’s reservoirs and drought mitigation policies — the two biggest sticking points — but Sudan’s irrigation minister said they have “come closer to aligning their views,” according to Reuters. The Addis Ababa meeting appears to be a last-ditch effort to find some sort of middle ground before the three parties head to Washington, DC for the final round of talks on 13 January, at the end of which they have committed to reaching an agreement on the guidelines for filling and operating the dam.