Egypt: Govt Urges Putting Water Issue Among Funding Priorities of European Union

Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Mohammed Baha al-Din returned home on Thursday 30/08/2012 after a three-day visit to Sweden.

The minister said, upon arrival, that he took part in the World Water Week organized by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI).

Baha el-Din, who led a high-level delegation grouping a number of ministry leaderships and water experts, said his address to the gathering focused on challenges facing the African continent.

On the sidelines of the event, he said a meeting of the water ministers of the Nile-basin countries was held on Wednesday to discuss the future of cooperation among member states.

The Minister noted that a meeting was held between the advisory body of African ministerial council and representatives of the European Union, where the meeting was attended by the EU senior commissioner to discuss the EU funding policy toward Africa as a continent and toward African nations.

Minister Baha al-Din stressed that the EU senior commissioner explained that the funding priorities of the European Union put energy and agriculture on top of projects required to be funded.

He made clear that Egypt urged putting the water issue on the list of priorities of European financing.