A meeting of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) countries held in Khartoum was attended by all members said Sudan’s Minister for Irrigation and Electricity, Moatez Moussa.
Sudan’s Minister said that the NBI members had agreed to prioritize the interests of their people and promote cooperation for the management and development of water resources for the benefit of the peoples of the Nile Basin countries.
Moatez Moussa said that only three articles within the NBI legal framework were still under consideration, those concerning the NBI decision making process and whether this should be unanimous or by majority decision; the notification process for on planned water resources development projects; and the bilateral accords of member states. Before the meeting, Egypt’s Water and Irrigation Minister, Hussam Maghazi , was quoted as saying,
“Egypt will put forth a new vision for the situation with the aim of reaching a win-win solution”
He said the meeting would be a good opportunity for Egypt to clarify the bones of contention on the Nile Basin Framework Convention, and he said it would propose amendments on certain items in the Entebbe agreement which Egypt would not sign in its present form.
