With Neighbors 

 

TEHRAN -- Iran’s foreign 

minister said Monday the foreign, interior, and energy ministries have formed a joint committee to follow up on issues related to cross-border rivers and construction of dams in some neighboring countries, adding that Tehran has held bilateral talks with Turkey, Iraq, and Afghanistan. 

Hussein Amir-Abdollahian said the Foreign Ministry has formed a committee that has so far convened up to three sessions and coordinated efforts with the Energy Ministry.

“A committee has also been formed between the foreign, interior, and energy ministries to study at the expert level issues related to cross-border rivers and the construction of dams in some neighboring countries,” the minister said.

Amir-Abdollahian also said he had held talks with his Turkish counterpart on the construction of dams on the Aras River and a similar meeting with the Iraqi side.

Tehran also discussed water rights with the interim government in Afghanistan.

According to the minister, a Turkish delegation arrived at the end of the Persian calendar year of 1400, which ended on March 20, and they “designed” a joint committee to follow up on relevant issues.

A similar move was taken regarding water resources shared with Afghanistan and “we have to follow up to reach a result.”

Iran and Afghanistan have renewed efforts to reach a permanent solution on water right from Hirmand, as the river is known 

on the Iranian side of the border. The two countries commissioned a month-long surveying mission on the river in February 2021 as Iran announced plans for the construction of precise water rights measuring installations on the border.
Iran is entitled to 26 cubic meters per second (850 million cm per year) of water from the Helmand based on a historic treaty signed between the governments of the two countries in 1973. However, the share has dwindled in recent years because of the excessive use of water for irrigation and dam construction in Afghanistan.