Egypt, S.Arabia step up trade ties through coordination council talks    Egypt reviews progress on $200m World Bank-funded waste management hub    Egypt urges Israel to accept Gaza deal amid intensifying fighting    SCZONE showcases investment opportunities to eight Japanese companies    Egypt, ADIB explore strategic partnership in digital healthcare, investment    SCZONE, Tokyo Metropolitan Government sign MoU on green hydrogen cooperation    Egypt welcomes international efforts for peace in Ukraine    Al-Sisi, Macron reaffirm strategic partnership, coordinate on Gaza crisis    Contact Reports Strong 1H-2025 on Financing, Insurance Gains    Egypt, India's BDR Group in talks to establish biologics, cancer drug facility    AUC graduates first cohort of film industry business certificate    Egyptian pound down vs. US dollar at Monday's close – CBE    Egypt's FM, Palestinian PM visit Rafah crossing to review Gaza aid    Egypt prepares unified stance ahead of COP30 in Brazil    Egypt recovers collection of ancient artefacts from Netherlands    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    Egypt, Namibia explore closer pharmaceutical cooperation    Fitch Ratings: ASEAN Islamic finance set to surpass $1t by 2026-end    Renowned Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Egypt's Sisi, Sudan's Idris discuss strategic ties, stability    Egypt to inaugurate Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Egypt to offer upstream Nile states more aid
Published in Almasry Alyoum on 28 - 06 - 2010

Egyptian Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Mohamed Nasr el-Din Allam will present a report summarizing Egypt's participation in the recent Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) conference in Addis Ababa to the Egyptian Council of Ministers on Wednesday. The council will then prepare a full report on the conference for President Hosni Mubarak.
The NBI conference, which concluded on Sunday, brought together water ministers from the nine member states of the NBI. Recent media reports have focused on continuing disagreements between the downstream states--Egypt and Sudan--and upstream members of the NBI over how to allocate Nile water. Five upstream states--Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda--signed a draft framework agreement in Entebbe, Uganda last month, which, if ratified, would grant them a greater share of the river's water.
Egyptian government sources, however, are putting a positive spin on the conference. According to these sources, the otherwise productive gathering was only marred by "outbursts" by Ethiopian Irrigation Minister Asfaw Dingamo.
The same sources also noted that NBI water ministers would meet again in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi in November. The officials added that, despite Sudan's Sunday announcement that it was freezing its membership in the NBI to protest the upstream states' refusal to renegotiate the Entebbe agreement, it was expected to join the eight other NBI members at the Nairobi meeting.
Al-Masry Al-Youm also learned that Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit is scheduled to travel to Ethiopia on 6 July to discuss matters of bilateral cooperation--particularly as they pertain to water issues--with his Ethiopian counterpart.
According to the same sources, the Egyptian government is currently preparing an action plan to present to the upstream states, which will include doubling the budget of the Egyptian Fund for Technical Cooperation with Africa to LE100 million. The fund finances development projects, training programs and the digging of wells in upstream NBI states. The Egyptian ministries of foreign affairs, irrigation and foreign cooperation have been tasked with coordinating implementation of the plan.
In an interview with Al-Masry Al-Youm, Hany Raslan, director of the Sudan and Nile Basin Department at the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, stated it was unlikely that Sudan's decision to freeze its NBI membership would negatively affect Egypt. According to Raslan, the move was meant to send a message to the upstream states, particularly Ethiopia, that a failure to resolve the impasse at the upcoming emergency meeting could lead to further escalation.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.


Clic here to read the story from its source.