The Egyptian government has adopted new policies in an effort to resolve its dispute with Ethiopia about the latter’s ambitious Renaissance Dam project. Egypt had criticized the dam project as a violation of international treaties about the use of the Niles River’s water, a project which, if allowed to be completed, would spell economic ruin for Egypt, which is completely dependent on the Nile for agricultural irrigation. Since the military came to power in Egypt last year, Egyptian officials and technical experts have adopted a calmer rhetoric, calling for good-faith policies and the advancement of mutual interests. The Egyptians’ more moderate tone has, so far, not advanced the cause of actual arrangements for the holding of new political and technical negotiations between the two countries, following the collapse of the previous round of negotiations in January. Analysts said that the change of tone in Egyptian rhetoric about the Renaissance Dam is part of an effort to extract whatever benefits it can from a dam that it seemingly cannot prevent from being built.