LOC12:47
09:47 GMT
CAIRO, May 30 (KUNA) -- Egypt has addressed a stern message to Ethiopia
stressing that waters of the Nile are of paramount importance for the Egyptian
people and that Cairo expects the Ethiopian side honor pertinent obligations,
the state-run Middle East News Agency (MENA) said on Thursday.
MENA in a report datelined Addis Ababa quoted the Egyptian Ambassador to
Ethiopia, Mohammad Idriss, as saying that he held talks with senior officials
of the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry to express the Egyptian unwavering and
explicit stance "regarding the water interests of the Egyptian people, as a
matter of life and existence and that any infringement on it targets the
higher interests of Egypt."
The people of Egypt are shocked and upset due to Ethiopia's decision to
alter course of the river, MENA quoted the ambassador as telling the Ethiopian
officials.
No country should seek to cause hunger and thirst in Egypt, "and such a
step would create a dangerous situation that might undermine stability and
peace and security in this strategic and vital region of the world," stressed
Idriss.
He added that the Ethiopian officials assured him that change course of
part of the river would not affect flow of the water to Egypt.
On Wednesday, Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Ethiopian
Ambassador in Cairo Mahmoud Dardir over Ethiopia's recent move of diverting
the course of the river for construction of its Renaissance Dam.
The Blue Nile provides Egypt with the lion's share of its annual 55 billion
cubic meters of river water.
Egypt is believed to need an additional 21 billion cubic meters of water
per year by 2050 - on top of its current quota of 55 billion meters - to meet
the needs of a projected population of 150 million. (end)
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KUNA 301247 May 13NNNN