Five world-renowned consultancy offices have been invited to conduct studies on the Ethiopian Renaissance dam, Egypt's Irrigation Minister Hosam Moghazy said.
The minister made the remarks during a meeting with Ethiopia Minister of Water, Irrigation and Energy Alemayehu Tegenu.
"All offers that suggested deadlines beyond 12 months have been rejected," the minister told reporters Saturday following a meeting held in the Ethiopian capital.
The talks took up challenges facing the process of picking up the offices, he added.
According to the minister's statements the Tripartite National Committee comprising four experts from Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia would receive the offers from the five offices in February.
During the talks, the Ethiopian minister has also received an Egyptian study that reflects Cairo's concerns over the building of the dam.