Egypt will be taking part in a ceremony to mark the 16th anniversary of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBA).
It is the first time in five years Egypt attends the ceremony that will be held under the auspices of Sudan and with representatives of eight other countries including Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo and Tanzania along with Eritrea as an observer.
Irrigation Minister Hossam Moghazi is leading Egypt's delegation to the ceremony.
Egypt had agreed to attend the ceremony and an extra-ordinary conference of Nile Basin states with the aim to reach a joint understanding about all pending disputes.
Launched on February 22, 1999, the NBI is a partnership among the Nile riparian states meant to "develop the river in a cooperative manner, share substantial socioeconomic benefits, and promote regional peace and security".
The NBI began with a dialogue among the riparian states that resulted in a shared vision to “achieve sustainable socioeconomic development through the equitable utilization of, and benefit from, the common Nile Basin water resources."
It was formally launched in February 1999 by the water ministers of nine countries that share the river: Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as well as Eritrea as an observer.
In May 2010, five upstream states signed a Cooperative Framework Agreement to seek more water from the River Nile — a move strongly opposed by Egypt and Sudan.
Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania were original signatories with Burundi signing in February 2011.
The DRC is also expected to sign, while Egypt and Sudan are not expected to do so.