Iran, Afghanistan agree upon share of Hirmand River

By  Trend

An agreement on the optimal use of Hirmand River water between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Afghanistan was signed.

At the end of the joint meeting of the water commission in Kabul, Iran and Afghanistan agreed on installing the measuring tools on the Hirmand River for better implementation of the 1973 treaty, Trend reports citing Official Website of Ministry of Energy of Iran.

"In a very friendly atmosphere, we have achieved good results, and the two sides emphasize that the operational plan for using the Hirmand River should be adjusted so that the people of both countries, especially the residents of the Sistan and Baluchestan province of Iran and Nimroz of Afghanistan will benefit from its results,” Deputy Energy Minister of Iran Ghasem Taghizadeh Khamesi, said.

The aim to sign the agreement was to manage the water of the Hirmand River more accurately, he said.

Iran`s Ministry of Energy announced its readiness to cooperate with Afghanistan in the field of energy and water, in particular the establishment of the Water Research Center.

Hirmand or Helmand River on the borders of Iran and Afghanistan is a potential point of conflict on scarce water resources of the region between the two countries.

It has a long history of agreements and conflicts. In 1969-1973, Iranian diplomats were engaged in intense negotiations with Afghan counterparts over the waters of Helmand.

Iran had the upper hand and, legally, was in a position to push for a fair share of the water. Disregarding the ongoing negotiations, however, the Shah of Iran, prompted by the sensitive political situation in Afghanistan, decided to grant a major concession to the Afghans.

Immediately after the political decision, Iran and Afghanistan signed the 1973 treaty on the Helmand River, thus formalizing Iran’s unequal share of the waters.