Egypt's Minister of Water Resources Mohamed Abdel-Aty discussed with head of the Palestinian Water Authority Mazen Ghoneim ways to enhance cooperation and possible mechanisms to activate the MoU signed between the two countries in the field of water resources and irrigation.
The officials met in Cairo ahead of the 13th session of the Arab Ministerial Water Council, chaired by Lebanon, on Thursday.
Abdel-Aty stressed the need to achieve the maximum levels of cooperation and coordination between the two countries to meet the peoples’ goals in sustainable development and reach the optimal management of limited water resources.
The meeting reviewed water projects in Egypt, such as canal rehabilitation, modern irrigation, and wastewater reuse.
The Palestinian minister expressed his desire to benefit from Egyptian expertise in these fields.
The MoU between Egypt and Palestine aims to develop the Palestinian capabilities in water resources management and develop the skills of Palestinian technical cadres.
It also organizes training courses and provides technical support in groundwater, planning, management, and development of water resources.
The Arab League issued a statement announcing the draft agenda of the session of the Arab Ministerial Water Council, saying it includes 24 items, namely the executive plan for the Arab water security strategy in the Arab region to address the challenges and future requirements of sustainable development (2010-2030).
The meeting will also discuss proposals to update the development following several comments suggested and adopted by Arab states before submitting them to the Economic and Social Council and the Arab Summit.
It will include a presentation at the meeting of the mini-committee to discuss controversial items in the draft guiding principles for cooperation between Arab countries to exploit common water resources.
The meeting will also discuss an item on Arab preparations for the 9th World Water Forum 2022 in Dakar, Senegal.
The Council will be briefed on signing the MoU between the President of the current session, Qatar, and the Technical Secretariat of the Ninth Water Forum.
