Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hossam Moghazi said potential international consultancy firms have been narrowed down to two and a selection will be made within days.
The firm will study potential impacts of the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on downstream countries Egypt and Sudan, particularly on their shares of water.
Moghazi was cited by state news agency MENA as saying that either one of the firms will be selected or both of them will be tasked with conducting the study. The results of the firm's study will be binding.
The announcement of the name of the international consultancy firm which will conduct studies on the effects of the dam was due on March 9, but was delayed.
Moghazi added that an agreement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will soon be signed in Sudanese capital Khartoum.
Khartoum is hosting a trilateral summit in which the heads of state of Egypt and Sudan will partake, as well as Ethiopia's prime minister later this month.
The trio's irrigation and foreign ministers met in Khartoum between March 5 to 8 and reached a draft agreement governing cooperation between them to benefit from the eastern Nile water and the dam.
As it stands, Egypt receives the largest share of the river's water and this water source is vital for the country with a population of 87.9 million.
When Ethiopia began construction of the hydroelectric dam on the Blue Nile in 2011, concerns in Egypt surfaced regarding how the dam will affect its share of Nile water.
Upon completion, the 4 billion dollar dam will be Africa's largest dam. It aims to generate cheap electricity to countries as far away from the Nile basin as South Africa and Morocco.
