Minister of communication: Technology will finish the disputes with “Nile Basin” states

Dr. Mohamed Salem -Minister of Communications and Information Technology- said that the government adopts a strategy to strengthen relations with the “Nile Basin” states, as the ministry adopts an initiative entitled “Back to Africa” during the next period, as the Nile Basin states represent the vital and strategic depth for Egypt, because they share Nile’s water with Egypt, he also clarified that the excellent relations with these states grants Egypt with a wide geographical extension which benefits all of various economic sectors, and he also said that the importance of strengthening relations with Nile Basin states has emerged strongly with the appearance of the problems regarding the distribution ratios between Nile Basin group.
The minister said, that these states suffer from great digital and technical gaps, as  they are also in urgent need to link technology with development issues, and implementing of information technology applications in the social sectors, and from this perspective the importance of the ministry’s initiative comes up for developing the Information Society in Nile Basin states, as it contributes to the development of the telecommunications sector in those states and creating the opportunity to apply the applications of telecommunications and information technology in the social and economic sectors amid these states, besides overcoming the problems of the digital gap and its dependencies

Salim added that the initiative is divided into a number of themes which we seek to apply with the 10 Nile basin states, which are the development of e-content that is represented in projects of cultural and natural heritage documentation, supporting the e-government services, building human resources,  contribution to the establishment of a regional center for training in two states of the basin one speaks English and other speaks French, training of African cadres on outsourcing services according to the availability of appropriate infrastructure, and supporting the infrastructure projects through partnership with the private sector in order to open African markets for the Egyptian companies and this theme includes the activities contributing to guarantee the processes of delivery and access.