Ethiopia is preparing to launch the fourth phase of filling the reservoir of its mega-dam on the Blue Nile, despite opposition from its downstream neighbour Egypt. "The GERD (Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, ed.) is now approaching the fourth filling. The last three fillings have not affected lower riparian states. Likewise, the rest of the filling will not be any different," says Ethiopia’s deputy prime minister, Demeke Mekonnen, at the opening of the Second Regional Conference on Equitable and Reasonable Utilization of the Nile River in Addis Ababa. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES