Tuesday 17th of May 2011
Therefore, she said, AU is ready to extend support to the project.
African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, Dr. Elham Ibrahim said AU supports Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam project as it benefits not only the country but also the rest of the region.
In an exclusive interview with ERTA, the commissioner, who is an Egyptian, said she appreciates the initiative of her country to work together with Ethiopia on equitable utilization of the Nile.
Dr. Elham Ibrahim said it is AU's role to support hydropower projects that contribute to address the existing power shortage that in the continent.
She said Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam is a project aimed at benefiting not only the country but also the rest of the region.
Therefore, she said, AU is ready to extend support to the project.
All hydropower resources of Africa should be exploited in the right way with optimum benefits for the continent, she said.
Commissioner Dr Elham Ibrahim indicated that the Renaissance Dam of Ethiopia would benefit the region in terms of electric power supply.
In addition, she said, the Dam would regulate the water flow to downstream countries thereby preventing flooding and minimizing siltation, and that such benefits are technical realities.
Even though Egypt is not signatory to the Cooperative Framework Agreement on Nile, the commissioner appreciated her country's initiative to work together on utilization of the resource.
She also talked about the Hydropower 2020 initiative that was launched in 2009 by the African Union Commission to tackle the power shortage that is faced by most of African countries.
According to her, the initiative has been working to expedite hydropower projects such as Inga in the Democratic Republic of Congo so that the huge resource is efficiently utilized.
Ehtiopian gov. news
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