CAIRO: Pope Shenouda III met today with the Egyptian ambassador in Ethiopia to discuss the most serious issue for the Egyptian administration during the next period, the Nile basin crisis. The ambassador presented to the Pope the latest developments and talks with the Ethiopian authorities, which seek to have projects on the Nile River. This is what will cause a serious problem for Egypt, as Ethiopia is Egypt's major water supplier. The Pope talked about the role of the Egyptian church in intervening in negotiations and re-establishing relations with the Ethiopian church to confirm Ethiopia's commitment to the water agreement. The Egyptian ambassador said the meeting with the Pope came at a very important time especially that the Egyptian church has a very important position in Ethiopia and can be used as a mediator between Egypt and Ethiopia to solve the problem regarding the Nile. He also said it came at an important time because Ethiopia had expressed its determination to carry out some projects that can reduce Egypt's annual share of the water. It should be noted that Ethiopia promised to postpone its ratification for the framework convention for the Nile river till conditions are stable in Egypt and a new President and government are elected. A religious source said the Pope will invest all his efforts to serve Egypt and that relations between the Egyptian and the Ethiopian church could solve the crisis. The source also said that Egyptians are in the Pope's heart and mind and that he is concerned with this issue especially that Egypt needs stability in the coming period, and the reduction of its shared water will affect its people whether they are Christians or Muslims. It should be noted that the late Pope Cyril the sixth intervened to solve a problem regarding the Nile during the regime of the late President Gamal Abdel Nasser, and the late emperor of Ethiopia Haile Selassie. It is claimed that he was able to do so because of the strong ties between the Egyptian church and the Ethiopian church.
