CAIRO, Oct 28 (Aswat Masriya) - Egypt and Sudan have agreed to support the Joint Technical Commission for the Nile so that it can fulfill its role in protecting the water interests of both countries, said a joint statement issued on Tuesday. 

The statement said that protecting their interests does not contradict with their keenness on supporting the development of all the Nile Basin countries, reported the state-owned news agency MENA. 

The commission follows up with the monitoring of water levels, the rules of operating water tanks in both countries and the water management across borders in addition to the transboundary water measuring stations. 

The statement also recommended making use of joint farming project to cover the food security needs of both countries and expanding the basis for cooperation between Egypt and Sudan in different fields that include mobiolising river navigation and capacity building.

"We will not stop until an agreement that satisfies all parties [Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia] is reached before the midyear of 2015, in accordance with the road map" Egyptian Water Resources Minister Hossam Moghazi said. 

Negotiations over the Renaissance Dam started on August 4. They have achieved a "relative success" according to Moghazi. 

Moghazi and Sudanese Ambassador Moataz Moussa convened on Tuesday and stressed during their opening speeches upon the importance of strong ties between Egypt and Sudan in order to achieve mutual and unified understanding of water issues in both countries.

The Technical committee of water resources was established in 1959 following the bilateral agreement between Egypt and Sudan for the full utilization of the Nile.