Ethiopia appreciates contribution of participants in Nile Basin Countries’ Cooperation Conference

Addis Ababa, September 8, 2022 (FBC) – Wednesday marks the conclusion of the Nile Basin Upper Riparian Countries cooperation meeting on Equitable and Reasonable Utilization of Nile Water Resources.

High-ranking officials, including Habtamu Itefa, Minister of Water and Energy, and State Minister Ambassador Tesfaye Yilma, State Minister for Foreign Affairs and Director General of African Affairs Ambassador Fisseha Shawul, were present.

In his closing remarks, State Minister Ambassador Tesfaye expressed his sincere gratitude to all of his fellow countrymen who attended and made contributions to the conference, as well as to the delegates of the Nile river riparian countries for participating in the inaugural conference on the equitable and reasonable use of the Nile.

State Minister Tesfaye added that he was delighted to hear that the discussions over the previous few days had been quite fruitful.

Ambassador Tesfaye said that the discussions would eventually result in useful policy recommendations that would support ensuring fair and acceptable usage of the Nile. The State Minister commended the attendees and all other parties, noting that everyone’s commitment throughout the conference and the important results provided proved that the conference had in fact accomplished its expected objectives.

The participants “unequivocally underscored that the Nile River should be used by all of us in a fair, reasonable, and equitable manner,” attesting to the very fact that the river is a shared water resource that ties us together, Ambassador Tesfaye said. Encouraging the Pan-African brotherhood displayed during the conference, he noted that it is only natural that all those residing in the basin use the resource in a fair, equitable, and reasonable manner.

In the same vein, Ambassador Tesfaye stressed that Ethiopia has made consistent efforts over the past decades in cooperation with other riparian countries to establish a basin-wide water governance arrangement. He urged basin countries to expedite the CFA ratification process.

The State Minister firmly highlighted that Ethiopia is still dedicated to resolving disagreements over the Nile River’s utilization by looking for African solutions to African challenges.