This archive report was first published on 24 October 2019.
Leaders from Egypt and Ethiopia met in a positive atmosphere on the sidelines of Russia's Africa summit in Sochi, Russia, on Thursday to discuss the contentious Nile dam project.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi delivered a message to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed regarding the soon-to-be-finished dam on the Blue Nile, a $4 billion project begun in 2012.
The meeting, which lasted around 45 minutes, was facilitated by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who offered his assistance in resolving the long-standing dispute.
Egypt fears that the dam will reduce the flow of the Nile, on which it depends for 90 percent of its water supply, while Ethiopia has rejected claims of a stalemate in negotiations, calling it an unwarranted denial of progress made during talks.
Analysts warn that the three Nile basin countries could be drawn into a conflict if the dispute is not resolved before the dam goes into operation late next year.
