Deal still possible: UN

An agreement on Ethiopia's controversial Nile River dam is possible, the UN said Thursday, urging "trust, transparency and open engagement" as Egypt accused Addis Ababa of threatening its existence. 

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has drawn the ire of Egypt and Sudan since construction began in 2011, with both fearing for their water resources.

Ethiopia, which intends to continue the second phase of filling the hydroelectric dam's reservoir in July and August, contends that the project is vital for the energy needs of its 110 million-strong population.

"An agreement on the GERD (Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam) can be reached," Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), told a UN Security Council meeting.

"To reach an optimal agreement, trust, transparency and open engagement will be key," she said at the meeting, organized at the request of Tunisia on behalf of Cairo and Khartoum.

While progress has been made in many areas of the negotiations, consensus "has not been reached regarding some critical aspects, including: arrangements for management of protracted drought; development upstream and downstream of the GERD; and a dispute resolution mechanism," the official said.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said the dam was an "existential threat" to Egypt, calling for "a legally binding agreement that enables Ethiopia to achieve its developmental objectives."

The members of the Security Council encouraged the three countries to overcome their differences towards an agreement under the aegis of the African Union.

But the AU's management of the crisis is at an impasse, Shoukry said, calling for the council to adopt a draft resolution proposed by Tunisia.