Egypt: Nazif Withdraws Egypt's Speech to the World Water Forum from Abu-Zeid Hours before His Departure for Turkey

The Turkish President Abdullah Gul will today open the World Water Forum in Istanbul that will be attended by more than 20 Heads of States and Governments and 20,000 official bodies concerned with water, the environment and agriculture, in addition to 1500 media and press personnel.

Al-Masry Al-Youm has learnt that Prime Minister Dr. Ahmed Nazif sent Dr. Mohamed Nasr Eddin Allam, the new minister of water resources and irrigation, to head Egypt's delegation to the Forum in lieu of Dr. Mahmoud Abu-Zeid, the former minister, who has yesterday departed for Turkey. Abu-Zeid will attend only in his capacity as head of the Arab Water Council.

The new minister had two days ago said that Abu-Zeid would head the delegation, but sources confirmed Nazif's decision that Abu-Zeid was informed of before leaving Cairo.

Sources with the Ministry of Irrigation said although Abu-Zeid had prepared Egypt's speech at the forum to take with him, the prime minister's decision means that Allam will deliver it, which could cause embarrassment to Abu-Zeid.