Abu Zeid: Gov't supports Nile Basin cooperation

Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak is keen on boosting cooperation between Egypt and other Nile Basin countries.

This was announced yesterday by the Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Mohamoud Abu Zeid, at the opening of a seminar on the future of Egyptian water resources up until 2050.

The government, in cooperation with other Nile Basin countries, is now studying the possibility of increasing its water share to implement the joint projects which would more efficiently utilize water wastes.

Abu Zeid called on focusing important decisions on dealing with the future of water resources.

These would include allowing for the projected population growth up to 140 million and Egypt's intention to build new villages along the Nile valley.

The Minister also called for lowering the dependence on the agricultural products that depend on consuming a lot of water, including rice, sugarcane and bananas.