Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia agreed yesterday to hold more talks on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) over the next week, Sudan’s Irrigation Ministry said yesterday. The three countries will hold ambassador-level negotiations on a daily basis — except on Friday and Sunday — and assess their progress next Monday or Tuesday. A minister-level meeting yesterday focused on the procedures required to resume the talks and each country’s sticking points in the long-stalled accord over GERD.

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi separately discussed the GERD negotiations yesterday during a National Security Council meeting, an Ittihadiya statement said. The statement stressed Egypt’s commitment to reaching a “fair and balanced” agreement, but said that Ethiopia’s unilateral decision to fill the dam’s reservoir this summer has “cast a shadow” over the talks.