Ethiopia’s foreign ministry has welcomed the UN security council’s calls to resume talks with neighbouring Sudan and Egypt to resolve their dispute and finalise their agreement on filling and operating the the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (Gerd).

The ministry also welcomed the council’s move to direct the matter to the African Union.

“Ethiopia believes the time is now for the Nile Basin countries to brace for and foster basin-wide cooperation,” the ministry’s statement read in part.

Egypt’s foreign ministry on its part urged all observers to facilitate the reaching of an agreement.

The dam project on the Blue Nile has caused tension between Ethiopia and its neighbours, with Egypt and Sudan worried about droughts and water security.

Egypt sees it as an existential issue as it relies almost entirely on the river for its water supply, while Ethiopia sees the dam as a way to bring electricity to millions of its citizens.