Nile vital source of life for basin states

Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn stressed on Monday that the Nile river is a vital source of life for all countries overlooking its banks.
Desalegn, speaking at the signing session of the document of the Declaration of Principles on the Ethiopian Dam, expressed thanks to Sudanese President Omar Hassan Bashir for the good reception the Ethiopian delegation received upon arrival in Khartoum.
All Nile Basin countries are linked to each other as they belong to one family which is Nile river, he said.
He stressed that his country is trying to achieve development through making the best use of Nile water.
He also thanked Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi for his participation in the session.
The Ethiopian prime minister stressed that cooperation is the only way to achieve aspirations of African peoples.
"We reached today a new step by signing the document of the declaration of principles on the dam the government and the people of Ethiopia are now building," he said.
He referred to statements by the late Ethiopian prime minister Meles Zenawi in which he stressed that the dam will not only serve the interests of Ethiopia but Egypt and Sudan as well.
He added that Ethiopia was keen to engage international experts in the studies on the dam to gain international confidence.
He reiterated once again that the dam will not harm the Egyptian and Sudanese peoples, expressing trust that the signed declaration will pave the way for more cooperation among the three countries.
Source: MENA