From AlJazeera

Ethiopia and Egypt have agreed to hold further talks on the impact of a huge Ethiopian dam project to quell tensions between the two countries over water-sharing.

“We agreed that we will start immediately on consultations at both the technical level… and the political level,” Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr told reporters after meeting in Addis Ababa with his Ethiopian counterpart Tedros Adhanom on Tuesday.

The countries have been embroiled in a heated dispute after Ethiopia began diverting the Blue Nile River last month for the construction of the 6,000 megawatt Grand Renaissance Dam.

The Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi had said earlier that “all options are open” over construction of the dam because of concerns about the impact on downstream water levels.

But Amr and Tedros said relations between the two countries remained “brotherly” and that they would continue engaging on the impact of the dam.

Amr said previous statements had been made “in the heat of the moment”.

‘Swim together’ 

“Both ministers stressed the need to continue the dialogue and communication with each other,” they said in a joint statement.

Read more at aljazeera.com