Speaking by phone, Abdelatty said cooperation and integration among Nile Basin countries are essential to achieving mutual benefit, adding that adherence to “the spirit of consensus and fraternity” is key to restoring inclusivity within the initiative in line with international law.
The NBI, launched in 1999 and bringing together 10 Nile Basin countries, is a regional partnership that seeks to promote cooperative development and management of shared water resources.
However, divisions between upstream and downstream countries in recent years over water use and governance, including disagreements on a cooperative framework agreement, have challenged its inclusivity and effectiveness, prompting efforts to revive consensus-driven cooperation mechanisms.
During his conversation, Abdelatty welcomed what he described as positive developments in the initiative’s consultative process, aimed at ensuring all basin countries benefit.
Abdelatty and Kombo also reviewed bilateral ties and regional issues, according to a foreign ministry statement.
Minister Abdelatty praised growing momentum in relations with Tanzania and reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to expanding cooperation across economic, trade, industrial and development sectors.
Both sides highlighted the Julius Nyerere hydropower project in Tanzania, being implemented by Egyptian firms, as a cornerstone of bilateral cooperation.
Kombo commended Egyptian companies for their role in major development projects in Tanzania.
Both ministers also discussed developments in Africa, particularly in the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes region, stressing support for state institutions and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
They agreed to step up coordination in bilateral and multilateral forums to support stability and development across the continent, the statement added.
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