ADDIS ABABA, Dec 5 (NNN-ENA) -- Mining and Energy Minister, Alemayehu Tegenu said the Ethiopian government has been undertaking immense hydroelectric power development projects that can resolve electric power shortage among the neighboring countries.

Alemayehu said Ethiopia has the capacity to produce huge amount of hydroelectric power and export electric power to neighboring countries when the on-going hydropower projects fully completed shortly.

The minister made the statement on Friday while addressing the Ethio-Kenya Joint Ministerial Meeting held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Ethiopia’s on-going hydroelectric power development projects, which are environmental friendly projects, will bridge the existing electric power gap created in the region as a result of the ever-increasing price of oil in the international market.

All hydropower projects, including the Gilgel Ghibe III, were found to be economically feasible and without any adverse impacts on the communities and ecology of the region.

Instead, he said, Gilgel Ghibe III project will scale up bilateral cooperation between Ethiopia and Kenya in the energy sector when the project goes fully operational.

Speaking at the occasion, CEO of the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation Mihret Debebe said he project, which is 35 percent of its implementation completed at present, will contribute a lot toward bringing about economic integration between the two sisterly countries.

Kenyan Energy Minister, Kiraitu Murangi the ministerial meeting aims at facilitating the Ethio-Kenya electric power interconnection project, which was signed between the two countries earlier.

Kenya is willing to import a minimum of 200-400 megawatt electric power from Ethiopia, he said, the Kenyan government remains committed to the completion of the Gilgel Ghibe III Project.

According to the minister, the reports of some international media about the Gilgel Ghibe III Project, as if the project has adverse impacts on the ecology of the region, were unfounded and baseless.

The governments of the two countries are set to cover the cost for the construction of the Gilgel Ghibe III Project, if international donors fail to do so, the minister noted.

The project is expected to be completed in the year 2013. -- NNN-ENA