The Prime Minister of Egypt, Mr. Mamdouh Salem, opened the first meeting of the Egyptian-United States Business Council at the Meridian Hotel in Cairo on Monday (13 October). The talks between the two delegations will be aimed at boosting cooperation between Egypt and the United States in the economic sphere.

The United States delegation of thirty-one prominent industrialists, is being led by Mr. Thomas Murphy, the chairman of the General Motors Company. The Egyptian Government has submitted 27 major projects as possible subjects for discussion.

Following the conclusion of the Egyptian-Israeli interim peace agreement last month, it was reported from Washington that Egypt might receive between 1,500 and 2,500 million dollars in aid.

On Tuesday (14 October) the day after the three day conference opened, the United States delegation and Mr. Murphy visited President Anwar Sadat's country resthouse on the outskirts of Cairo.

President Sadat told them that he hoped to ask President Gerald Ford for a nuclear reactor to desalinate sea water, when he visits Washington later this month. He told them "we have a water problem here. The water is not enough."
The President also told the businessmen that he wanted American technical knowledge for Egypt, as he hoped that Cairo would soon become the centre for Arab business.