GCC electricity, water cmte meeting concludes 

(MENAFN - Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) Minister of Electricity and Water of Kuwait Abdulaziz Al-Ibrahim said here on Tuesday that the Extraordinary Meeting of the GCC electricity and water cooperation committee, which concluded here today discussed water linkage and water security between the GCC states.

Al-Ibrahim told KUNA before leaving here that the meeting came in implementation of directives of GCC leaders at their consultative summit, which was held in Riyadh last May, on the need to pay more attention to the water sector and look for ways to provide sustainable water sources.

He pointed out that the meeting discussed the topic of water linkage between the GCC countries in light of decisions of the GCC Supreme Council relating to this matter besides previous studies conducted in this regard as well as a long-term comprehensive research strategy on the water issue.

He revealed that the GCC Electricity and Water Undersecretaries have been entrusted to hold a meeting in the coming days to review the previous studies pertinent to water linking, in addition to the modification in light of the developments that have taken place in coordination with the Consultancy Group in charge of preparing the study.

He added that the Undersecretaries would discuss in their meeting the benchmarks for the previous study prepared in 2007 and the criteria according to which the cost of the project would be distributed, in addition to the water reserves available in each country separately and negotiate with the consultant on cost and the period of termination of the study.

The Extraordinary meeting kicked off here earlier in the day.