Calls for continuing the stalled negotiations.. The Security Council issues a statement today on the Renaissance Dam

A diplomatic source in the UN Security Council told Al Jazeera that the members of the council had reached an agreement on the wording of a draft presidential statement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

The draft statement, which is expected to be adopted today, Wednesday, encourages Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan to resume negotiations under the auspices of the African Union to reach an agreement acceptable to all parties regarding the filling and operation of the dam.

The draft statement calls on the three countries to move forward with the negotiations in a constructive and cooperative manner, and encourages the observers invited to attend the African Union-led negotiations to continue to support the negotiations with a view to facilitating the resolution of outstanding technical and legal issues.

The draft presidential statement also calls on the African Union to consider updating the Security Council, if necessary, on its efforts in negotiations.

And Anadolu Agency reported that the council members (15 countries) have already reached a draft statement that the council will issue unanimously, urging Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia to resume negotiations under the leadership of the African Union.

She added that the statement would call on the three countries to reach an agreement on the filling and operation of the dam, within a reasonable time frame, while ensuring the interests of the parties in a fair manner.

Egypt and Sudan exchange accusations with Ethiopia of being responsible for the failure of the negotiations on the dam, sponsored by the African Union for months, within a negotiating process that began about 10 years ago, due to differences over the operation and filling of the dam.

Addis Ababa says that it does not aim to harm the interests of the downstream states of the Nile, Egypt and Sudan, but rather aims only to generate electricity from the dam for development purposes, while Cairo and Khartoum call for the conclusion of a legally binding tripartite agreement, to preserve their water facilities, and the continued flow of their annual quotas of water Nile.