CAIRO, Sept 14 (Aswat Masriya) – Egypt's Water and Irrigation Minister Hossam Moghazi said he will visit Ethiopia on Saturday to launch the Tripartite National Committee's first meeting.

The committee is made up of 12 water experts from Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan to conduct a special study on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

Egypt's relationship with Ethiopia has been tense since the latter announced the start of the dam building process in May, 2013.

Egypt believes the dam would negatively affect its share of the Nile water. The hydroelectric dam is being built on the Blue Nile, which provides Egypt with 85 percent of its Nile water share. 

During his three-day visit to Ethiopia, Moghazi is expected to visit the dam's construction site, reported state-run news agency MENA.

Egypt's, Sudan's and Ethiopia's water ministers agreed on the formation of the Tripartite National Committee during the fourth round of tripartite talks over the building of the dam in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum on August 25 and 26.

The committee, which is set to resort to international advisory companies, will produce a detailed study on the dam's effect on the flow of the Nile's water as well as the project's environmental, economic and social effects on Egypt and Sudan. It should conclude its report within six months, by March, and its results are to be binding for all.

The three Nile Basin countries had formed an expert committee to provide an advisory opinion over the building process and the harms it might cause. The committee included four international experts in addition to two experts from each of the three countries. 

During the Khartoum tripartite talks, Moghazi said that there is a need for further studies to ensure the dam project is in line with international standards, citing the expert committee's report. 

Egypt and Ethiopia have held talks regarding the Renaissance Dam previously. Yet, they were not able to resolve certain sticking points.