TEHRAN - Iran’s Minister of Energy, Ali Akbar Mehrabian, at the top of a delegation, has paid a visit to Afghan capital Kabul and held meetings with the Taliban’s ministers of Energy and Water, Foreign Affairs, Information and Cultures and deputy Prime Minister, Mullah Baradar.
The Iranian officials’ visit was aimed at pursuing Iran’s rights to water supply from the Hirmand River as well as boosting cooperation between the two neighbors.
Iran and Afghanistan signed a water-sharing agreement on the Hirmand River in 1973, under which Afghanistan pledged to release around 850 million cubic meters of water each year to Iran. So far, Iran has repeatedly criticized Afghanistan for failing to fulfill the accord.
In the meantime, Afghanistan has been struggling with a looming electricity crisis with vast bills remaining unpaid. Afghan acting officials urged Iran to continue supplying reliable electricity.
Iran and Afghanistan have the potential and opportunity to cooperate in many fields. Energy, in particular, can bring the two neighbors closer.