TEHRAN -- Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei on Friday urged Afghanistan to embrace the path of cooperation on removing obstacles with regard to border rivers.
Referring to longstanding commonalities in identity, culture, race, religion and civilization between Iran and Afghanistan and the presence of millions of Afghan citizens in Iran for nearly five decades, Baghaei said deepening relations between the two countries in various fields requires respecting mutual interests and avoiding unilateral and harmful actions.
He stressed the importance of bilateral agreements, the applicable principles of international treaty and the natural rights of downstream users of common rivers, as well as the principle of good neighborliness in fair access to the water resources of rivers with an international water basin shared by the regional countries. 
Afghanistan is expected to cooperate on the continuation of the flow of water from the border rivers and to remove the obstacles, he noted.
Iran has repeatedly emphasized to the Afghan parties in appropriate ways, especially through official diplomatic channels and functional (technical) mechanisms, that the exploitation of water resources and basins cannot be done without respecting Iran’s rights in accordance with bilateral treaties or principles, as well as environmental considerations, he said.
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in contact with the relevant authorities of Afghanistan, communicated its protest and strong concern regarding the disproportionate limitation of water entering Iran or diverting the natural course of rivers that have been the source of development and shaping the natural and environmental coordinates on both sides of the common borders, he added.