GERD talks in the final stretch? Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan agreed last week to mandate the US Treasury Department and the World Bank to prepare a final agreement for the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in hopes of signing the final contract by the end of the month, according to a joint statement out on Thursday. The three countries’ foreign and irrigation ministers reviewed in Washington, DC last week the progress made by their technical teams on ironing out the sticking points over the dam’s filling and operational timelines. An initial agreement reached earlier this month addressed how Ethiopia will operate GERD during periods of drought and “prolonged dry years,” and outlined mechanisms for cooperation and dispute settlement. Egypt was the only country of the three to sign the agreement.