CAIRO – Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf begins on Wednesday his tour to Uganda and Ethiopia to explore the means of maximum use of the water of Nile via cooperation in agricultural and industrial domains, Al-Youm Al-Sabie reported. His tour also aims at expanding economic, commercial as well as investment cooperation between Egypt, Uganda and Ethiopia. The premier had earlier said that dialogue and negotiations were the only means for reaching a balanced formula for a framework agreement among the Nile Basin countries that could serve the interests of all parties concerned. He said the government would continue backing the establishment of Egyptian investments in Africa in general and the Nile Basin countries in particular. On Thursday Sharaf will go to Addis Ababa to discuss with the Ethiopian officials means of joint cooperation in various fields, as well as encouraging businessmen in both countries to carry joint investment projects. During his two-day stay, Sharaf will attend the signing of a cooperation agreement between Egyptian and Ethiopian chambers of commerce to increase trade and investment. He will be accompanied by an Egyptian delegation including Foreign Minister Nabil el-Arabi, Electricity Minister Hassan Younis, Planning and International Cooperation Minister Faiza Abu Naga, and the head of the General Authority for Investment Osama Saleh.
