Egypt, Ethiopia desire to avert disputes over the Nile

CAIRO, Jan 18 (KUNA) -- Egypt and Ethiopia on Thursday affirmed mutual desire to beef up bonds between the two nations and avert disputes over the Nile river basin.
However, President Abdelfattah Al-Sisi, speaking at a joint news conference with the visiting Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, expressed deep concern due to experts' procrastination as to finishing studies about environmental, economic and social impact from the Ethiopian dam on Egypt and Sudan.
Speaking after a joint committee's meeting, the president urged for speedy conclusion of the studies, in line with a tripartite accord, inked in 2015.
Egypt has proposed that the World Bank, as a neutral party, participate in the tripartite commission tasked with Al-Nahda dam issue, to thrash out technical matters.
For his part, the Ethiopian premier said the dam "would not negatively affect Egypt," noting his nation's need for new energy resources to help it in the efforts against poverty.
Ethiopia will not seek to endanger the Egyptians' lives, he said, adding that Cairo's proposal to involve the WB would be examined at a tripartite level soon.
President Al-Sisi and his host, earlier today, attended a ceremony for signing two memos on cooperation in the sectors of industries, politics and diplomacy. (end) rg.rk