Egypt looks forward to strengthening cooperation with the Netherlands in water management and agriculture, two crucial sectors with promising opportunities for both countries.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry briefed his Dutch counterpart, Wopke Hoekstra, on the latest Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam issue developments, clarifying his country's vision.
Ethiopia is in dispute with Egypt and Sudan over the Renaissance Dam it has been building since 2011.
Cairo says the project threatens its water "rights," calling for a binding legal agreement with Addis Ababa and Khartoum that regulates the rules of filling and operating the dam and preserving its water security.
The Nile water accounts for about 97 percent of Egypt's needs, or 55.5 billion cubic meters.
Egypt suffers from a scarcity of water resources. It needs about 114 billion cubic meters annually, while the available water resources amount to 74 billion cubic meters, according to the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation.
On Thursday, Shoukry met with his Dutch counterpart on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers meeting in New Delhi, India.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman, Ahmed Abu Zeid, said the meeting addressed boosting ties and enhancing consultation mechanisms and cooperation in various fields.
Abu Zeid noted that the two ministers focused on exchanging views on regional and international issues, namely the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, and coordinating positions regarding participation in the UN Water Conference scheduled for March in New York.
Shoukry also met Thursday with British Foreign Minister James Cleverly on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers' meetings and discussed bilateral relations, and regional and international developments, particularly in the occupied territories.
The British minister was keen to see Egypt's vision achieve calm and break the current stalemate in the peace process.
Shoukry stressed the need for the international community and the involved parties to intensify their efforts to stop unilateral measures and ease tensions, creating the appropriate atmosphere for the Palestinians and Israelis to return to the negotiating table.
The Foreign Minister participated Thursday in the G20 foreign ministers meeting and focused on the international community's intertwined crises, including climate change, the debt crisis, and increased food and energy prices.
Shoukry addressed the impact of the shortage crisis and the increase in food prices in Africa and Egypt.
Egypt is ready to cooperate with the international community to host a center for the grain supply, which would help reduce price volatility and the disruption of supply chains, said Shoukry.
The FM participated in the session on combating terrorism, drawing a global skills map, and providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief.
According to a spokesman, Shoukry stressed that the challenges resulting from the exploitation of technological development by some parties to promote terrorist and extremist ideas require the cooperation of the international community.
He highlighted the importance of the success of efforts to develop a binding international legal agreement within the framework of the UN on criminalizing the use of information and communication technology to commit crimes.
The treaty would boost efforts to combat cybercrimes, said Shoukry, adding that it would help exchange experiences and information and promote national legislation to fight terrorism.
