PRESIDENT NASSER AND PRESIDENT BOURGUIBA VISITING THE ASWAN HIGH DAM PROJECT; ATTENDING CEREMONY IN ASWAN CITY; PRESIDENT BOURGUIBA PRESENTED WITH THE KEY OF THE CITY BY THE LOCAL GOVERNOR.




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Background: THE CRISIS IN THE RELATIONS BETWEEN WEST GERMANY AND THE UNITED ARAB REPUBLIC OVER THE COMING VISIT TO CAIRO BY HERR WALTER ULBRICHT, THE EAST GERMAN COMMUNIST LEADER, IS BELIEVED TO BE UNDER DISCUSSION AT TALKS IN CAIRO BETWEEN PRESIDENT NASSER AND OTHER ARAB LEADERS, INCLUDING PRESIDENT BOURGUIBA OF TUNISIA.

PRESIDENT BOURGUIBA IS IN EGYPT ON A SIX-DAY VISIT.YESTERDAY (THURSDAY) PRESIDENT NASSER TOOK HIM TO SEE THE LATEST STAGE OF CONSTRUCTION OF THE ASWAN HIGH DAM.PRESIDENT BOURGUIBA WAS ALSO GIVEN THE KEY OF THE CITY BY THE GOVERNOR OF ASWAN CITY LATER IN THE EVENING.

(THE ASWAN HIGH DAM, IN UPPER EGYPT, IS ALMOST 445 FEET (135 METRES) HIGH, AND IS EXPECTED TO BE FINISHED IN 1967 - A YEAR AHEAD OF SCHEDULE.ABOUT 30,000 LABOURERS AND TECHNICIANS WORK IN CONTINUOUS SHIFTS ON THE DAM, WHICH - WITH ITS ANCILLIARY ELECTRIC POWER EQUIPMENT - WILL COST GBP336,000,000.ABOUT GBP56,000,000 HAS ALREADY BEEN SPENT ON THE PROJECT.