Prime Minister Hazem al-Beblawy has said that the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam could be a source of prosperity for both Egypt, Ethiopia and the Nile Basin countries. He emphasized that Ethiopia has no problem with water availability but only seeks to generate electricity through the dam.
In a press conference following the supreme ministerial committee meeting on Wednesday, Beblawy added, “Our attention to the Nile is attention to Egypt’s soul and future. The Nile is the source of life for the basin countries. It defines the way we deal with our neighbors.”
Irrigation Minister Mohamed abdel Motteleb said that there is complete coordination among all authorities in this regard. He added that Egypt consumes 80 million square meters, which necessitates the re-use of some water sources to meet water demands.
The minister said that Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia will all benefit from the dam.
The supreme committee, headed by Beblawy, held on Wednesday its second meeting in October. It included ministers of electricity, transportation, water resources, irrigation, agriculture and land reclamation. It also included representatives from the foreign ministry and other government bodies.
The committee mulled recent developments in issues concerning Nile water and relations with the basin countries, days ahead of a meeting with the water ministers of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia at Khartoum on Monday. The meeting will discuss recommendations by an international committee of experts tasked with asessing the dam's impact
The committee highlighted the importance of the water ministers meeting and considered it a step toward boosting cooperation among the three countries in a way that achieves mutual benefit. The committee also stressed that constructive dialogue is the best way to achieve joint interests and enhance development efforts.
During the meeting, the committee added that success of cooperation between the three countries depends on the political will to achieve interests, which the committee emphasized Egypt was seeking through the Khartoum meeting.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
