Egypt's Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Hani Sweilam discussed with his newly-appointed Sudanese counterpart means to develop the work of permanent Egyptian-Sudanese Technical Authority for Nile water -- one of the oldest mechanisms of cooperation between the two countries.
Sweilam, who arrived in Khartoum on Saturday, is visiting Sudan for the first time since his appointment in August. The Egyptian minister and his Sudanese counterpart Daw Al-Bait Abdul-Rahman toured the headquarters of the authority.
Through the authority, which resumed its meetings in October after a four-year hiatus, data of measurement stations in Egypt and Sudan are exchanged in a way that helps the governments of both countries to manage the Nile water resource effectively, according to a statement by Egyptian irrigation ministry.
The permanent Egyptian-Sudanese Technical Authority for Nile water has been working efficiently since its establishment in 1960, based on the 1959 Nile Water Agreement between Egypt and Sudan, said Egyptian irrigation minister.
The authority, he added, is specialized in conducting research and studies to optimize the management of the Nile water resource. It also ensures integrated coordination and cooperation in exchanging data and measurements to assist in the hydrological studies of the Nile.
The Sudanese irrigation minister, who was appointed on Thursday as part of a new transitional government, said he hoped to discuss all issues of mutual interest with his Egyptian counterpart. He emphasized the necessity of "sincere cooperation with the Nile Basin countries."
He also stressed the necessity of attaching importance to South Sudan, especially when it comes to dealing with floods and ways of prevention, the statement added.
Source: Al-Ahram Online
