Nile dam project not negotiable, says Ethiopia ahead of Egyptian PM Visit
* Article
* Comments (3)
email Email
print Print
pdfSave
separation
increase
decrease
separation
separation
*
*
*
*
By Tesfa-Alem Tekle
May 10, 2011(ADDIS ABABA) - Ethiopia will never stop its program to
construct the recently launched massive hydro power project in Nile
River whether Egyptians welcome it or not, government officials said
on Tuesday ahead of the Egyptian prime minister’s visit to Addis Ababa
this week.
“There won’t be any reason that would stop or delay the undergoing
construction of the Nile Dam. It is not something based on the
goodwill of Egyptians” Shimels Kemal, a spokesman for the
Communications Ministry of Ethiopia, told Sudan Tribune.
Egypt, which failed to thwart a recent pact on Nile water use signed
by six riparian countries, had recently sent a 48-member popular
delegation to discuss the issue with Ethiopia despite the latter’s
insistence the plan was not intended to harm Egypt.
As goodwill gesture Addis Ababa agreed to postpone ratification of the
new treaty.
“Ethiopia only agreed to delay ratifying the new Nile pact until Egypt
elects new government, if the upcoming rule in Egypt accepts the
project we will push building the dam in joint cooperation” Ethiopian
state minister for foreign affairs Birhane Gebrekirstos said.
“However if the new government in Egypt rejects to accept and bends to
its old stance the program never stops and we will still carry on the
project to end”.
The state Minister said Egypt’s Prime Minister Essam Sharaf,
accompanied by senior officials, will arrive in Addis Ababa on
Thursday for a two day visit.
According to the official, the Nile will be the main topic of
discussion as well as some other bilateral issues.
“The Egyptian delegation will be briefed on the Nile project to
illustrate them it doesn’t hurt them and we hope a common
understanding will be reached between the two sides”, Gebrekirstos
said.
Ethiopia has allowed a team of Sudanese and Egyptian experts along
with other Ethiopian and international scientists, to observe the new
dam in a bid to convince them the project is not intended to hurt
them.
(ST)
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "JFD
info" group.
To post to this group, send email to [email protected].
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
[email protected].
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/jfdinfo?hl=en.
