April 1, 2015-Ahram reports today that the Egyptian and Ethiopian irrigation ministers will announce next week in Addis Ababa the consultant firm that will carry out new water and environmental studies on the 74 billion cubic meter reservoir on the Nile’s largest tributary.

Ethiopia’s irrigation Minister has invited his Egyptian counterpart to travel to Addis Ababa next week to announce one of the two shortlisted firms.

The firm will be carrying out impact studies on the Grand Ethiopian renaissance Dam (GERD) based on yearly water consumption rates of Egypt and Sudan.

Ethiopia maintains that Egypt’s share of water from the Nile will not be negatively affected by GERD.

A Declaration of Principles was signed recently by Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt.

GERD, already 40% completed, is a 6,000 megawatt dam-the largest in Africa.