Cairo Strengthens Cooperation With Nile Basin Countries in ‘Water Management’

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. (AFP)
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. (AFP)
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Cairo Strengthens Cooperation With Nile Basin Countries in ‘Water Management’

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. (AFP)
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. (AFP)

Egypt is keen on cooperating with the Nile Basin countries in the field of water resources management, Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Aty announced on Saturday.

The Minister said that bilateral cooperation with the Nile Basin and African countries is one of the main axes of Egyptian foreign policy, in light of Egypt’s human potential and various technical and institutional expertise in the field of water.

He stressed that such cooperation contributes to achieving sustainable development and raising the standard of living of citizens, in addition to facing African challenges such as the population increase, the spread of poverty, illiteracy and diseases.

Abdel Aty was speaking at the conclusion of two training programs organized by the National Water Research Center in Cairo.

The Minister handed over certificates to 46 trainees, from Nile Basin and African countries, in the field of “Environmental Hydrology in Arid and Semi-arid Areas,” and “Integrated Water Resources Management.”

“The training represents an opportunity for communication between the people of the African continent and for achieving integration between water engineers in African countries,” Abdel Aty said.

He stressed that the two courses would raise and develop the technical capabilities of African researchers and specialists, and transfer the experiences gained during the program for application in their countries.

For their part, the trainees said they were pleased to participate in the training programs, expressing appreciation for the field visits to water resources projects.

The trainees stressed that Egypt is one of the distinguished countries in the field of water management and irrigation sciences.

The training program came while Ethiopia and downstream states Egypt and Sudan failed to reach an agreement over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

GERD is set to be the largest hydroelectric dam in Africa but has been a center of dispute with downstream nations Egypt and Sudan ever since work first began in 2011.

Cairo has reiterated its demand that Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan reach a legally-binding agreement to fill and operate the dam.

The last round of talks between the three countries in Kinshasa ended in early April 2021 with no progress made.

In mid-September, the UN Security Council called on the three countries to resume African Union-led negotiations, stressing the need to reach a “binding agreement on the filling and operation of the dam within a reasonable timetable.

Ethiopian officials have recently stated that the third filling will take place in August and September.



US Senators Introduce Legislation to Repeal Syria's Caesar Act

Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shaibani (2nd L) looks on as US special envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack raises the flag of the United States at the US ambassador's residence in Damascus, Syria, May 29, 2025. (AFP)
Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shaibani (2nd L) looks on as US special envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack raises the flag of the United States at the US ambassador's residence in Damascus, Syria, May 29, 2025. (AFP)
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US Senators Introduce Legislation to Repeal Syria's Caesar Act

Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shaibani (2nd L) looks on as US special envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack raises the flag of the United States at the US ambassador's residence in Damascus, Syria, May 29, 2025. (AFP)
Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shaibani (2nd L) looks on as US special envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack raises the flag of the United States at the US ambassador's residence in Damascus, Syria, May 29, 2025. (AFP)

US Senators Democrat Jeanne Shaheen and Republican Rand Paul introduced on Thursday a bill repealing the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019.

“The legislation reflects a growing recognition that while the Caesar Act achieved its goal of isolating the Assad regime, it now risks obstructing Syria’s path toward stability, democracy and reconstruction,” they said in a joint statement.

“Repealing the Caesar Act would end broad-based economic sanctions while preserving US tools to hold Syrian officials accountable,” it added.

The act was named after a defector from the Syrian army, who smuggled thousands of photos that document the torture and violations committed in Syrian prisons. It was designed to hold the Assad regime and its backers to account for their war crimes and human rights violations.

“The Syrian people have a generational opportunity to write a new chapter for their country and the entire Middle East,” said Shaheen. “For too long, the brutal Assad dictatorship, propped up by our adversaries Iran and Russia, has ruled with an iron fist. And for too long, the Syrian people have endured a devastating civil war to rid themselves of this oppression.”

“We can keep the new Syrian authorities accountable without decimating the economy. Sustained diplomatic engagement can yield tremendous results,” she stressed.

“I look forward to working with Special Envoy Thomas Barrack to support the Syrian people’s aspirations for democracy, stability and security,” she added.

For his part, Paul said: “For years, I’ve opposed broad sanctions that hurt innocent people more than the regimes they target. While the Caesar Act was intended to isolate the Assad regime, it has ended up punishing everyday Syrians, fueling poverty, crippling recovery, and blocking progress toward peace.”

Senator Rand Paul pauses to speak to reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (AP)

“This repeal is about restoring a more targeted, principled approach that holds bad actors accountable without inflicting unnecessary suffering on the very people we claim to support,” he stated.

Matthew Levitt, Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute, said it was logical to end the Caesar Act after the reasons for its adoption are no more.

He told Asharq Al-Awsat that it was enacted to tackle the grave human rights violations committed in the Assad regime’s prisons. With the ouster of the regime, there is no need to keep it in place.

Pressure

Meanwhile, Dr. Murhaf Ibrahim, head of the Alawite Association of the United States, said it was important to bolster Syrian-American ties on all levels, to lift sanctions and for the United States to display political and economic openness towards Syria.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he said that in order to boost these ties, they must align with American values related to diversity, democracy, decentralization in state management and respect of human rights.

So far, the government of Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has not committed to these principles, he stressed.

He called on the US Congress to hold the government to account over its pledges to address violations and hold their perpetrators responsible.

It must also review the political and constitutional measures it has taken so far and that have sparked criticism because they do not represent the entire Syrian population, he went on to say.

US Senator Jeanne Shaheen speaks during a press conference with fellow Democratic senators calling on the Trump administration to continue Medicare drug price negotiations on Capitol Hill in Washington, US, January 22, 2025. (Reuters)

Syrian-American lobby

Ahed al-Hendi, Senior Fellow at the Center for Peace Communications in Washington, underlined the importance of the legislation because it was issued by the Senate, which first enacted the Ceasar Act, not the president.

Action by the Congress demonstrates the existence of Syrian-American lobby that did not make do with pledges made by the American administration, he said. Rather, it is working hard to secure bipartisan support to turn President Donald Trump’s words in Riyadh into political and legislative action in Washington.

Even though the administration has still not shaped a clear policy on Syria, the removal of the Caesar Act will help open a new chapter in relations and deliver a clear message that the lifting of sanctions is a necessary step in Syria’s reconstruction, he added.

It will also underscore government efforts to consolidate civil peace, respect minorities and avert regional escalation, he said.

Syrian activist Ayman Abdelnour said the removal of the Caesar Act will no doubt revive Syria and push forward reconstruction efforts.

He told Asharq Al-Awsat that lifting the sanctions will allow the American administration to assess the performance of the new Syrian government on the political, economic and social levels.