Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy speaks during the 68th session of the General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2013. (Photo: AP)
Egyptian foreign affairs minister Nabil Fahmy has announced that the Nile basin states must collaborate in order to meet the future needs of their people.
"There is no viable solution that favours one faction at the expense of another, and the goals of one Nile basin country cannot be achieved without the goals of the others," said Fahmy in a Monday press statement during his visit to Burundi.
The visit is part of an extended Africa tour for several Egyptian representatives, including the housing minister and the agriculture minister.
The delegation is also visiting Uganda and Congo.
Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza expressed appreciation for Egypt's role in Africa, adding that the Nile basin countries will work collectively to ensure that the Nile remains a "source of prosperity and collaboration for all," reported state-owned news agency MENA.
Concerns regarding Egypt's share of the Nile waters have been on the rise since May, when Ethiopia announced the construction of its Renaissance Dam. Egypt fears that the dam project, if completed, could negatively impact the volume of Nile water reaching Egypt.
Egypt will need an additional 21 billion cubic metres of water per year by 2050, on top of its current quota of 55 billion cubic metres, to meet the water needs of a projected population of 150 million people, according to Egypt's National Planning Institute.
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