Visiting Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty speaks during a meeting held by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni at State House Entebbe, 40 km south of Kampala, Uganda, Aug. 4, 2025. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and visiting Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty have held talks regarding the use of Nile River waters and broader regional cooperation, according to a statement issued by the Ugandan State House on Tuesday. The two leaders discussed Egypt's existential concerns over water security at the meeting, which took place on Monday at State House Entebbe, about 40 km south of the Ugandan capital, Kampala, the statement said. (Uganda Presidential Press Unit/Handout via Xinhua)

KAMPALA, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and visiting Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty have held talks regarding the use of Nile River waters and broader regional cooperation, according to a statement issued by the Ugandan State House on Tuesday.

The two leaders discussed Egypt's existential concerns over water security at the meeting, which took place on Monday at State House Entebbe, about 40 km south of the Ugandan capital, Kampala, the statement said.

"We discussed a number of issues regarding the Nile and how best the stakeholding countries can work together to preserve, and make better use of it," Museveni said in a post on his official X account.

"The problem of the Nile is lack of electricity in the tropics. The communities like the Fellahin will use the trees for cooking, hence destroy the biomass, which in the end affects rain patterns and hurts the Nile. The second danger is primitive agriculture," the president added.

Museveni called on countries in the Nile Basin to engage in high-level dialogues on how to utilize the river sustainably without endangering its future.

Abdelatty highlighted the potential for joint projects, supported by a financing mechanism recently established by Egypt, to promote development in southern Nile Basin countries.

He also praised Uganda for its contributions to peacekeeping missions in Somalia and other African nations.

The meeting further explored opportunities to deepen economic cooperation between the two countries in various areas, including energy, security, and digitalization. ■

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni (R) meets with a visiting Egyptian delegation led by Badr Abdelatty, Egyptian foreign minister, at State House Entebbe, 40 km south of Kampala, Uganda, Aug. 4, 2025. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and visiting Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty have held talks regarding the use of Nile River waters and broader regional cooperation, according to a statement issued by the Ugandan State House on Tuesday.

The two leaders discussed Egypt's existential concerns over water security at the meeting, which took place on Monday at State House Entebbe, about 40 km south of the Ugandan capital, Kampala, the statement said. (Uganda Presidential Press Unit/Handout via Xinhua)