By: The Kabul Times
KABUL: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Afghanistan has pledged to let Iran have its share of water from the Hirmand River and the supply for feeding Hamoon wetlands. The Afghan government has promised to provide Iran with the share of water from the Hirmand River and has also pledged to supply the water for Hamoon wetlands, the top Iranian diplomat said at a parliamentary session on Sunday. He also unveiled plans for the legal regime of the Harirud River, saying the two neighbors have for the first time reached agreements on the river.
Although there are various options to receive Iran’s share of water for Hamoon -such as adopting strict policies towards Afghanistan in certain areas- the relations between Tehran and Kabul are always brotherly and friendly, the top diplomat added.
Highlighting the efforts by Iran’s Foreign Ministry to protect the country’s right to the share of water from Hirmand and Hamoon, Zarif said the two neighbors have agreed to set up five committees to handle various bilateral issues, including disputes over the water share.
The Foreign Ministry sent two protest letters to Afghanistan in March and April to remind Kabul of Iran’s rights under a 1973 treaty, Zarif went on to say, noting that the Afghan ambassador to Tehran has been also informed of Iran’s stances. Iran and Afghanistan have a disagreement over allocation of water from the Hirmand River, as both sides suffer from droughts and climate change.
