World Bulletin / News Desk

Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn on Thursday called on Egypt to stop what he described as "unnecessary noise" about a Nile dam project.

"Ethiopia has been working with riparian countries towards bringing about fair and equitable utilization of the Nile waters," Desalegn told the House of Peoples' Representatives, Ethiopia's lower house of parliament.

"Egypt should come on board instead of making unnecessary noise," he said.

Ethiopia is building a $6.4-billion dam on the Blue Nile, which represents Egypt's primary source of water.

The project has raised alarm bells in Egypt, the Arab world's most populous country, which fears a reduction of its historical share of Nile water.

Water distribution among Nile basin states has long been regulated by a colonial-era treaty giving Egypt and Sudan the lion's share of river water.