The interest with the Nile Basin countries returns to focus once again with putting them on top of the priority of the Egyptian policy which represents a new Egyptian vision for the Nile Basin countries under the new world order.

This vision is founded by President Mubarak, who puts its outlines and leads an Egyptian team for implementing them at the highest level.

The current international situation imposes upon Egypt to start southward at a time when it runs its foreign policy at both Arab and regional Middle East level, and at the level of relationship with the European Union, North America, East Asia and Latin America.

Egypt puts its foreign policy on the bases of justice and international peace which are stable since it contributed to the establishment of the League of Nations and the United Nations and its policy towards Africa, specifically the Nile Basin countries in light of a changing international system, governed by many considerations:

First: Preserving the river's security represents top priority for Egypt, and as Herodotus said: Egypt is the gift of the Nile, the contemporary Egyptian politician knows the importance of the river in the Egyptians' life and seeks to end conflicts in the countries which the Nile passes through starting from its source in Burundi, passing through Uganda, and reaching to Sudan at the south of Egypt.

Egypt has its eye on the importance of implementing peace in the Nile Basin countries, because peace would guarantee equitable distribution of river water, and would attain prosperity for the peoples of the river countries.

The technical and technological help that Egypt presented to Uganda yesterday represent genuine commitment from Egypt's side for developing the infrastructure of the river, as without it the stability and development wouldn't be able to be achieved.

Second: Boosting the Egyptian relations with the Nile Basin countries represents a genuine part of the Egyptian long-term strategy.

Third: It has certainly been proved that Africa's development would not be fulfilled except through its sons, as the North-South dialogue went a long way which didn't result in any outcome for the interest of the South countries.

Inter-African cooperation is the solution for the African conflicts, the world food crisis and the African stability in general.

Al Ahram