Iraq called on Iran to take the implementation steps of the agreements related to land and sea borders, and the Shatt al-Arab stream between the two countries.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein stressed, during a meeting yesterday with his Iranian counterpart Hussein Amir Abdollahian, on the sidelines of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the importance of continuing coordination and the committees continuing their technical meetings, and solving the water problems that Iraq is going through due to not obtaining its shares. water or diverting the course of some rivers, which caused environmental and economic consequences, according to a statement by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.
The statement stated that Iraq proceeds in dealing with the political and security situation in the region in accordance with its national interests, and this is represented in its keenness to establish peace and stability in the region.
During the meeting, they discussed Iraqi-Iranian relations at various levels, and exchanged views on political and security developments in the region.
The two ministers also discussed Iran's financial demands in return for buying gas and electricity in light of the economic sanctions imposed on Tehran.
The former Iraqi regime had signed an agreement with Iran in 1975 to share the waters of the Shatt al-Arab, but Baghdad canceled it with the outbreak of war between the two countries in 1980.
The agreement included the adoption of the bottom line point located in the Shatt al-Arab as the point of water sharing between the two countries, and the land border points between the two countries were also drawn.
In 2007, Baghdad and Tehran restored the understandings again through meetings at the level of foreign ministers to implement the previous agreements.
Al-Hamdani saw that Iran's practices of diverting the water course are a clear violation of international conventions (Al-Jazeera)
water shortage
A few days ago, the Iraqi Minister of Water Resources, Mahdi Rashid Al-Hamdani, called for the need to return to the 1975 agreement related to sharing the waters of the Shatt Al-Arab River, to solve the problem of the scarcity of water flow from Iran.
Al-Hamdani pointed out - during the first water security conference in Baghdad, which was held on the 18th of this month - that the water coming from Iran, although it is 15% as water imports, greatly affects the province of Diyala in the east of the country, because feeding the province completely with water comes from Iran.
It is noteworthy that 90% of the sources of rivers that flow in Iraq come from outside its territory.
Al-Hamdani pointed out that security and water are closely linked, and that dealing with the water file is "very sensitive."
The Iraqi National Security Adviser, Qassem al-Araji, confirmed that he would not give up Iraq's water rights.
He stressed that the National Security Adviser is supportive of the efforts of the Ministry of Water Resources, and the national merit must be defended.