CAIRO, Jan 10 (Aswat Masriya) - Egypt stands with Ethiopia's development efforts, without this being at the expense of Egypt's share of the Nile, Egyptian Prime Minister, Ibrahim Mehleb, said in a meeting with the Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarch Mathias I on Saturday.

The Egyptian people support the Ethiopians in fostering mutual cooperation, as perviously reinforced by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi during his meeting with the Ethiopian prime minister on the sidelines of 23rd African Union Summit in Malabo June 26, 2014, Mehleb added.

Balance of interests must be established, Mehleb said. Ethiopia has the right to generate electricty whilst Egypt bears the right to preserve the source of Nile water, he added.

Mathias I arrived in Cairo early Saturday on his first visit to Egypt, in response to an invitation by Pope Tawadros II.

Churches of Egypt and Ethiopia have taken part in mediating negotiations between both countries concerning the establishment of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

The relationship between the two countries has been tense since Ethiopia announced the start of the dam building process in May, 2013.

Egypt believes the dam would negatively affect its share of the Nile water. The hydroelectric dam is being built on the Blue Nile, which provides Egypt with 85 percent of its Nile water share.