Egypt Keen to Implement Projects of Nile Basin Initiative

Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hisham Qandeel said on 18/05/2012 that Egypt is keen to implement projects of the Nile Basin initiative. The Minister noted that Egypt is keen on consultation and participation in large agricultural projects in the Nile Basin countries to ensure that those projects do no affect Egypt and Sudan shares of the Nile water.

He stressed that Egypt is keen to restore confidence with the Nile Basin countries in the coming period through building bridges of cooperation with governments, peoples, trade unions and civil societies. On the other hand, the tripartite committee assigned to assess the impact of Ethiopia's Millennium Dam wrapped up its first meeting in Addis Ababa after successful and tiresome talks marked by mutual understanding and agreement between the three member states: Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia.

Egypt's two representatives in the committee which also comprises two experts from Ethiopia, two from the Sudan and four international experts, arrived home on 18/05/2012. Qandeel affirmed that the reports he received from the Egyptian representatives about the talks showed a positive attitude of Addis Ababa, noting that it made required information and data available for the commission. Minister Qandeel added that the positivism also was clear in allowing the experts to visit the Millennium Dam site, take needed photos and get the required information.

Qandeel called in statements on the sidelined of the African Week held in Cairo for giving the commission the opportunity to help it make realistic suggestions especially that its works will continue for nine weeks.

The committee on Ethiopia's Millennium Dam, comprising Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia, will meet on June 19 in Cairo to discuss effects of the dam on the two countries. The members of the committee, which convenes for the first time in its full capacity, agreed to hold the coming meeting in Cairo on June 19, Mohammed Abdel Ati, the Head of Nile Water Sector at the Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, told MENA in pre-departure statements.