Egypt: The Netherlands Supports Our Efforts on Water Issues

Officials at the Egyptian-Dutch Consultative Council for Water Management. (Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources)
Officials at the Egyptian-Dutch Consultative Council for Water Management. (Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources)
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Egypt: The Netherlands Supports Our Efforts on Water Issues

Officials at the Egyptian-Dutch Consultative Council for Water Management. (Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources)
Officials at the Egyptian-Dutch Consultative Council for Water Management. (Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources)

Egypt assessed its water situation and the most important challenges it faces from the effects of climate change at a meeting of the Egyptian-Dutch Consultative Council, the Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources said in a statement on Monday.

The meeting was held as part of the Egyptian government’s preparations to organize the Cairo Water Weeks (CWW) in October under the theme "Water at the Heart of the Climate Action" as a preparatory platform for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27), set for the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh in November.

The Ministry said a high-level delegation participated in the expert meeting of the Egyptian-Dutch Consultative Council, which was held on July 20 and 21.

Dutch officials expressed their willingness to support CWW, especially the session to prepare for the submission of a report for the Midterm Comprehensive Review of the Water Action Decade, scheduled for March 2023.

They stressed support for the “Water and Climate Pavilion” during the COP27, and for Egypt’s adaptation strategy for the water sector under the foreseen changes affecting water resources management.

The Egyptian delegation reviewed the water situation in Egypt and the most important challenges facing the water sector and efforts to confront them.

The Egyptian Ministry said the two sides agreed on an initiative to provide data on water productivity by declaring Egypt a regional platform for piloting data and information on water productivity in the region.

The delegation also reviewed the successful Egyptian experience in the field of treating agricultural drains using wetland technology, the Ministry statement said.

Egyptian Minister of Water Resources, Mohamed Abdel-Aty hailed the water cooperation between Egypt and the Netherlands that dates back 46 years to the establishment of the Egyptian-Dutch Consultative Council for Water Management in 1976.

He said bilateral cooperation between both countries helped build bridges of trust, and this was reflected in the increasing experiences in the fields of water management and treatment, water quality improvement and integrated coastal zone management.



Lebanese Govt. to Seek New IMF Program, Policy Statement Says

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas//File Photo
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas//File Photo
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Lebanese Govt. to Seek New IMF Program, Policy Statement Says

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas//File Photo
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas//File Photo

Lebanon's new government will negotiate with the International Monetary Fund for a new program and will work to deal with the country's financial default and public debt, according to a policy statement approved by the cabinet late on Monday.

The statement, a copy of which was reviewed by Reuters, said the government would work for an economical revival that could only be achieved through restructuring the banking sector.

Lebanon has been in deep economic crisis since 2019, when its financial system collapsed under the weight of massive state debts, prompting a sovereign default in 2020 and freezing ordinary depositors out of their savings in the banking system.

Beirut reached a draft funding deal with IMF in 2022 - contingent on reforms that authorities failed to deliver.

Finance Minister Yassine Jaber, who took office as part of a new government agreed earlier this month, told Reuters an IMF mission is expected to visit Lebanon in March.

Jaber said he had met the IMF's resident representative in Lebanon, Frederico Lima, and confirmed that the government plans to move ahead with reforms.

Lebanon's political landscape has been turned on its head since the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, long a dominant player in Lebanese politics, was badly pummelled in last year's war with Israel.

Reflecting the shift in the power balance, the government policy statement did not include language used in previous years that was seen to legitimize a role for Hezbollah in defending Lebanon, saying instead "we want a state that has the decision of war and peace".

The statement said it was required to adopt a national security strategy and a foreign policy that works to 'neutralize' Lebanon from conflicts.

In the field of energy, the Lebanese government will seek to resume work in oil and gas exploration, according to the cabinet statement. It said the government planned to establish a Ministry of Technology and Artificial Intelligence.

With a new administration in neighboring Syria, the statement said the Lebanese government believed it has an opportunity to start a serious dialogue aimed at controlling and demarcating the borders and working to resolve the issue of displaced Syrians in Lebanon.