Egypt has close relations with Uganda, said Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mahmoud Abu-Zeid.

Strong Egyptian-Ugandan ties are part of Egypt's continued efforts to enhance cooperation and develop balanced relations with the Nile Basin states, he said in statements on Thursday 31/7/2008. Abu-Zeid said Uganda is a main partner in projects being carried out within the framework of regional cooperation among the Nile Basin member states. The projects include the Hydro-Met project, which was launched in 1967 to study the meteorological and hydraulic conditions in the equatorial lakes, said the minister.

There are also the TECCONILE project, which was launched in 1992 to promote cooperation and development in the Nile Basin, and the Nile Basin initiative, inked in initials in February 1999, he added.