Addis Ababa, the political capital of Africa, is hosting the 3rd Annual Forum for Regional Integration and Reasonable Utilization of the Nile (AFRIRUN III).
Mesganu Arga, State Minister for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while officiating the forum, welcomed distinguished experts from the Nile River basin countries joining the forum to share and exchange views on collective efforts to ensure equitable and reasonable utilization of the Nile River. Ambassador Mesganu highlighted that working towards the speedy entry into force of the Cooperative Framework Agreement will allow for collaboration and progress in the region.
The event, which began this morning, is themed “Shared Resources for Shared Future and Prosperity: Cooperation and Regional Integration through Equitable and Reasonable Utilization of the Nile”.
Executive Director of the Institute of Foreign Affairs, Jafar Bediru, gave remarks stating that AFRIRUN has been a flagship project undertaken since 2022 by the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Institute of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Water and Energy aimed at creating a platform for members of the riparian states, experts and members of academia to gather and have fruitful dialogue on the equitable and reasonable share of the Nile River.
The forum is expected to serve as a platform where experts and policymakers will deliberate on the immense benefits of a fair and equitable utilization of the Nile. It will also serve as a platform to dwell on ways of ensuring equitable and reasonable utilization of the Nile waters by exchanging experiences and sharing best practices from scientific researches.
The forum has been organized by the Institute of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Water and Energy of Ethiopia.