- Title: USA: Israel, Jordan and Palestinians sign water agreement in Washington
- Date: 9th December 2013
- Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (DECEMBER 9, 2013) (REUTERS) REPRESENTATIVES FROM U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT, ISRAEL, JORDAN, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY AND WORLD BANK DISPLAYING SIGNED AGREEMENT. CUTAWAY OF AUDIENCE LISTENING. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SILVAN SHALOM, ISRAELI REGIONAL COOPERATION, AND NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURES, ENERGY AND WATER MINISTER, SAYING: "I would like to mention that this agreement was blessed and supported by Prime Minister Netanyahu, as I know as well by King Abdullah and by President Abu Mazen, and all of them together shows us that when the leaders are really willing to reach an agreement, it can be achieved. And let's hope that that agreement will be a glimmer of hope for let's say future agreements for comprehensive peace in the region." MEDIUM SHOT OF PRESS CONFERENCE. (SOUNDBITE) (English) HAZIM EL-NASER, JORDAN WATER AND IRRIGATION MINISTER, SAYING: "This agreement is not a political agreement. It's an agreement with a humanitarian dimension because there are people on the ground that are waiting for the water to come out of this project. It's not a joke when people are looking for one litre of water to drink. I think our region is unique in this regard world-wide and in particular my country Jordan is the third country in the world when it comes to water shortages. That's why water means a lot to us and we don't play games when it comes to water projects." WIDE SHOT OF PRESS CONFERENCE. (SOUNDBITE) (English) DR. SHADDAD ATTILI, PALESTINIAN WATER AUTHORITY MINISTER, SAYING: "You know about this figure of 1000 cubic meters per capita, that the country is ruled as living under water scarcity and when it comes underneath 500 cubic metres the country is identified under absolute scarcity. In Israel, Jordan, Palestine, we're all less than 300 cubic meters per person. So we're living and we're sharing despite the problems we do have but also we're sharing also the problem that comes from the scarcity of water. Today we showed that we can work together in terms of making more water available." SHALOM, El-NASER AND ATTILI SHAKE HANDS.
- Embargoed: 24th December 2013 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Usa
- Country: USA
- Topics: International Relations,Politics,Energy
- Reuters ID: LVA1Q1EMY3HWGASRX3ZGF9BCJDDR
- Story Text: Representatives from Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority signed a water-sharing agreement in Washington, D.C. on Monday (December 9) that the World Bank hailed as a "milestone" for the region.
The memo of understanding signed by the parties outlines three regional water sharing initiatives. One involves the building of a desalination plant in the Jordanian Red Sea port city of Aqaba that will eventually produce 80 million cubic meters per year of water to be shared by Israel and Jordan. In return, Israel will increase releases of water from the Sea of Galilee for use in northern Jordan. The agreement is designed to meet the increased demand for water in southern Israel and northern Jordan. For the Palestinians, the Israeli water utility Mekrot will sell about 20-30 million cubic metres of desalinated water to the Palestinian Water Authority for use in the West Bank.
The parties also signed off on a 180 kilometre pipeline that will carry water from the desalination plant in Aqaba to the Dead Sea, which has been shrinking rapidly. Israeli environmentalists oppose the project because they say it will devastate the Dead Sea's unique ecosystem.
Israeli Minister Silvan Shalom noted that the agreement has the blessing of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Jordan's King Abdullah and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen.
"All of them together shows us that when the leaders are really willing to reach an agreement, it can be achieved," Shalom said.
"And let's hope that that agreement will be a glimmer of hope for let's say future agreements for comprehensive peace in the region."
Jordanian Minister Hazim El-Naser stressed the agreement is not political in nature.
"It's an agreement with a humanitarian dimension because there are people on the ground that are waiting for the water to come out of this project," he said.
"It's not a joke when people are looking for one litre of water to drink. I think our region is unique in this regard world-wide and in particular my country Jordan is the third country in the world when it comes to water shortages. That's why water means a lot to us and we don't play games when it comes to water projects."
Palestinian Authority Minister Shaddad Attili noted the two countries and the Palestinians share a desperate need for water.
"You know about this figure of 1000 cubic meters per capita, that the country is ruled as living under water scarcity and when it comes underneath 500 cubic metres the country is identified under absolute scarcity," he said.
"In Israel, Jordan, Palestine, we're all less than 300 cubic meters per person. So we're living and we're sharing despite the problems we do have but also we're sharing also the problem that comes from the scarcity of water. Today we showed that we can work together in terms of making more water available." - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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