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Press Statement of the Gavelholder.
The Middle East Multilateral Working Group on Water Resources met in Athens, Greece, from November 7-9. Greek Foreign Minister Karolos Papaoulias addressed the plenary session and offered a Greek-led project and training course on water resources.
Approximately 160 officials representing forty-five delegations from around the world, including thirteen parties from the Middle East, attended the meeting. The United States held the gavel for the meeting.
The Working Group took substantial steps forward with its major ongoing projects:
--The Omani efforts to create a regional desalination research
center in Muscat were strongly endorsed by all the regional parties.
--The Group identified specific sites and next steps for the Israeli-led
project on rehabilitating municipal water supply systems.
--Nine delegations offered to conduct courses related to previously
identified, specific needs for expertise in water matters in the
Middle East.
--The Group endorsed a detailed plan for compatible regional water
data banks. The United States and Canada offered financial support
for the project.
--The Israelis, Jordanians, and Palestinians agreed to begin discussion
on principles or guidelines for cooperation on water issues.
--The group agreed to undertake a German-led study that will analyze
the various options for enhancing water supply in the region.
The group agreed on the need to create greater public awareness of the multilateral negotiations, and particularly to follow-up on the Casablanca Economic Summit to further involve the private sector in the work of the Water Resources Working Group.
[end of document]
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