Tehran, Kabul to pursue joint water projects
Iranian Minister of Energy Reza Ardakanian said that joint plans will be studied on shared water resources in collaboration with neighboring Afghanistan.
Ardakanian made the remarks in a meeting with Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar in Tehran, reported Fars News Agency.
“Joint projects related to Harirud river will be pursued by both sides,” he said.
“We have made good progress regarding joint water resources based on the 1973 Helmand Water Treaty,” Atmar noted, adding, “Both sides decided to do technical and specialized studies in this field and cooperate with each other with regards to the rights of both nations.”
Harirud originates from Afghanistan and flows across the common borders with Iran.
In early January 2019, Ardakanian, in a meeting with Afghanistan’s Deputy Minister of Energy and Water Khan Mohammad Takal, exchanged views on ways to bolster bilateral cooperation in the water and energy sectors.
During the January 6, 2019 meeting in Tehran, Ardakanian and Takal called for mutual cooperation between the two states for full implementation of the Helmand Water Treaty.
The Iranian energy minister urged the Afghan government to join UNESCO’S Urban Water Management Program.
In the meantime, the Afghan official, for his part, thanked Iran’s support for Afghanistan
in energy and water fields and called for promotion of two countries’ bilateral cooperation.
Iranian and Afghan commissaries held the 19th meeting of their joint committee in Tehran on January 5, 2019 to address the issue of the water right of the Helmand river.
The meeting kicked off in the morning in Iranian Ministry of Energy, aiming to address water right issues under 1973 treaty. The talks are underway for better implementation of the agreements.
The two countries were represented by deputy ministers for the first time, planned through diplomatic coordination.