EU one of most important development partners of Egypt: Irrigation Min.

CAIRO – 26 October 2021: Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Aati on Tuesday said that the European Union (EU) is one of the most important development partners of Egypt.

At a meeting with Oliver Varhelyi, the Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement in the EU on the sidelines of Cairo Water Week, he lauded the role of the EU in supporting the water sector in Egypt.

“The EU is interested in the water file as water is a major element of sustainable development,” he added.

For his part, Varhelyi expressed understanding regarding the importance of the Nile water for Egypt as the main resource of water in the country.

In his remarks during the activities of the third day of the Cairo Water Week, Minister of Irrigation Mohamed Abdel-Aty said that the ministry is working on all possibilities related to the Renaissance Dam, including the possibility of the collapse of the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, through the establishment of an infrastructure around the High Dam in Aswan that can absorb large quantities of water that reach Lake Nasser in a short time.

Aty added that the structure also includes the possibility that water does not reach Lake Nasser on time, so we, as a ministry, are preparing for all risks.

"The state is taking into consideration all potentials regarding the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and the chances of a possible collapse of the dam," he said.

He said the government seeks to establish additional infrastructure projects near the Aswan-based High Dam in anticipation of a possible water decline.

The minister's statements came during the session "Water and Society" on the third day of the fourth Cairo Water Week which kicked off Sunday and runs till October 28 under the auspices of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi.

It is worth noting that the fourth Cairo Water Week continues its activities for the third consecutive day, under the slogan "Water, Population and Global Changes: Challenges and Opportunities", under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Republic, and in the presence of a large number of ministers, official delegations, senior officials in the water sector, scientists, framers, organizations and institutes, in addition to legal professionals from different countries of the world, with the attendance of (1000) actual participants, (800) virtual participants remotely, 20 ministerial delegations and 44 ministerial delegations participating virtually.