Egypt, Malta hold technical consultations on water issues

Egypt and Malta held on Thursday a virtual round of technical consultations via videoconference on issues related to water problems and means of settling them along with efforts to enhance cooperation in this field.

Heads of Planning and Nile Water Affairs Sector at the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, the Egyptian Embassy in Malta along with officials from the Maltese foreign affairs ministry and CEO of the Maltese Agency for Energy and Water attended the meeting.

In a statement released by the Foreign Ministry on its Facebook page on Thursday, Egypt's Ambassador to Malta Khaled Anis said the round of consultations covered issues related to water problems, the impact of climate change on water, water treatment, water recycling and reuse, Egypt's stance regarding the filling and operation of The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), in addition to the need for finding out a binding agreement to serve the interests of the three countries of the Nile Basin.

During the consultations, the Egyptian side highlighted the importance of the objectives of the national plan for water resources till 2037, especially improving the quality of water, rationalization of water use as well as the development of various water resources.

Meanwhile, the Maltese officials praised Egypt's move to include water issues on the agenda of the UN Climate Conference (COP27) which is due to be held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, in November.

Concluding the talks, the two sides agreed on exchanging visits between officials of both countries and discussed signing an memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the water domain.