The annual Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) meeting was hosted by South Sudan at the Grand Hotel in Juba on Thursday.

The one-day meeting was attended by representatives and ministers from the Nile Basin Initiative Countries (NBIC) which include Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Central Africa Republic, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Burundi.

The Nile Basin Initiative was founded in 1999, Egypt was among the founders. Despite being a recent addition to the group, South Sudan was given the turn of hosting this year’s NBIC meeting.

Reading the resolution agreed to by all the NBIC Ministers from all Nile Basin Initiative Countries (NBIC) to the media, South Sudan representative, Minister of Water and Irrigation Paul Mayom Akech, said “I’m happy to inform you that South Sudan has assumed the leadership of NBI for the next year”. He also said that he was proud his country was hosting the meeting and called for “the use of dialogue to sort out any differences among the group”.

Referring to current issues between Egypt and Ethiopia, Mayom suggested that dialogue is the only mechanism for the parties to settle their differences.

“We appeal to Egypt to reconsider their position and resume their participation in the NBI. An organization they took part in founding it in 1999. Variation of views could only be settled through dialogue”, he remarked.

Asked how the “Renaissance Dam” benefits Egypt, the Ethiopian representative Ala Mayio Taguo said: “It promotes the equitable and reasonable utilisation of resources in the basin.”

Taquo asserted that the Ethiopia GERD Renaissance Dam benefits the low-stream countries by giving regular water flow for agriculture throughout the year.

Taquo also described that the relationship between Egypt and Ethiopia was “top”.

There has been a divide in Egypt whether dialogue with Ethiopia regarding the GERD Renaissance Dam could secure the country’s interests or whether it should resort to war. Egypt’s leading politicians have disagreed over how to handle this case but President Morsi declared his country will use dialogue to reach understanding with Ethiopia according to Sudan Tribune.

Mayom announced that the work plan for the 2013-14 fiscal year for the Nile Basin Countries will run from July this year till June 2014 with a total budget of $3.8.