From: Biniam Tekle (biniamt@dehai.org)
Date: Mon May 17 2010 - 07:52:50 EDT
http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/news/egyptians-discuss-response-ethiopian-dam
Mon, 17/05/2010 - 11:03
updated
Egyptians discuss response to Ethiopian dam
Ethiopia's announcement on Friday of the inauguration of its new Tana Beles
dam aimed to provoke Egypt's anger and lead it to taking swift diplomatic
behavior which would turn global public opinion in favor of upstream Nile
countries and away from international legislation contained in the two water
conventions of 1929 and 1959, official sources told Al-Masry Al-Youm.
Egyptian official bodies responsible for the Nile issue met yesterday,
according to the sources, to discuss ways to deal with the new situation.
They asked for detailed information about the dam to be presented to
President Hosni Mubarak. Egypt has been in fierce disagreement with upstream
Nile countries over the distribution of water, which Egypt wants to remain
unchanged.
Hammo el-Omrani, head of the regional office of the International
Development Research Center, said the Ethiopian declarations aimed to prompt
Egypt into demanding the delay of water projects planned to be carried out
on the Nile instead of requesting new negotiations, which is in Ethiopia's
interests. He also said that Egyptian calm reactions were the reason for
Ethiopia's declarations, which aimed to turn international support in its
favor, rather than supporting the Egyptian perspective.
Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit held talks yesterday with his Belgian
counterpart Steven Vanackere in which they discussed the latest developments
between Egypt and Sudan on one side, and source countries on the other.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
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