Egypt Seeks Arab Cooperation to Address Water Shortages

Hotels, banks and office buildings by the River Nile in Cairo, Egypt. (Reuters)
Hotels, banks and office buildings by the River Nile in Cairo, Egypt. (Reuters)
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Egypt Seeks Arab Cooperation to Address Water Shortages

Hotels, banks and office buildings by the River Nile in Cairo, Egypt. (Reuters)
Hotels, banks and office buildings by the River Nile in Cairo, Egypt. (Reuters)

Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Dr. Mohamed Abdel Aty has carried out a series of Arab ministerial meetings on the sidelines of the fourth Cairo Water Week.

These meetings aim to bolster cooperation among Arb countries to address the challenges facing the region in terms of the water scarcity due to climate change.

About 1,000 participants, 300 international speakers and 50 organizations operating in the water field are taking part in the four-day event, which kicked off on Sunday.

The agenda includes several high-level discussions, including the UN Conference on the Midterm Comprehensive Review of the Implementation of the Objectives of the International Decade for Action-2023 and a joint meeting for the Arab ministers of water and agriculture.

Abdel Aty met on Monday with his Jordanian counterpart, Mohammed al-Najjar, to discuss means of bolstering bilateral cooperation to address water challenges.

They underscored the importance of achieving the maximum levels of cooperation and coordination to achieve their sustainable development goals and the optimal management of the limited water resources in their countries.

According to an Egyptian statement, Najjar highlighted the Jordanian government’s efforts to address water shortages in the kingdom and implement major water projects.

Abdel Aty also met with Lebanese Minister of Energy and Water Dr. Walid Fayad and Saudi Deputy Minister of Water Environment and Agriculture Abdulaziz al-Shaibani to discuss cooperation to address water challenges facing many Arab countries.



Jordan Army Says It Thwarts Border Infiltration across Syria, One Killed

In this May 23, 2021, file photo, the Syria national flag is displayed at a gathering at Omayyid Square in the Syrian capital Damascus, Syria. (AP)
In this May 23, 2021, file photo, the Syria national flag is displayed at a gathering at Omayyid Square in the Syrian capital Damascus, Syria. (AP)
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Jordan Army Says It Thwarts Border Infiltration across Syria, One Killed

In this May 23, 2021, file photo, the Syria national flag is displayed at a gathering at Omayyid Square in the Syrian capital Damascus, Syria. (AP)
In this May 23, 2021, file photo, the Syria national flag is displayed at a gathering at Omayyid Square in the Syrian capital Damascus, Syria. (AP)

The Jordanian army said on Sunday it had killed one person and arrested six others who tried to cross the border from Syria.

Officials say there has been a spike in such attempts in recent weeks by drug and arms smugglers linked to pro-Iranian militias who hold sway in southern Syria.

The army says they have also used drones in their operations.

Damascus denies any complicity and says it tries to curb rampant drug and arms smuggling across the border with Jordan.