Leaders from Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia signed a declaration of principles on Monday relating to Ethiopia's Renaissance Dam on a tributary of the River Nile.

Egypt, which relies almost exclusively on the River Nile for farming, industry and drinking water, has sought assurances that the dam will not significantly cut the river's flow to its rapidly growing population.

The Ethiopian Foreign Ministry announced that the signing ceremony in Khartoum was attended by Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir and Egyptian President Abdul Fattah Al-Sisi with their respective delegations.

It had been announced by Sudanese state media that President Salva Kiir would also attend the ceremony. SUNA, the Sudan News Agency, also declared the signing to be an "historical event," but released few details about the contents of the document. 

Earlier this week, Egypt declared it was “highly sensitive” toward any project to store the Nile’s water in upstream countries as it might reduce the country’s water supply, according to Egyptian irrigation minister Hossam Moghazi.

During his meeting with a Sudanese media delegation, Moghazi described Egypt’s current share of Nile water as already not enough to cover the country's needs.

Photo: Leaders of Sudan, Ethiopia and Egypt in Khartoum, 23 March 2015 (Ethiopian MFA)