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MoFA Reacts To Iran’s Remarks On Water Treaty

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Tuesday reacted to recent remarks by the Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif about the water treaty between the two nations, saying the 1973 Helmand River Treaty between the two countries is still valid.

Pressure is not the solution and Afghanistan is not in pursuit of tension, said Nasir Andisha, Acting Deputy Foreign Minister for Management and Resources.

“There is no need to talk about pressure, because it is an international treaty. Article nine of the treaty clearly states that whenever there is some kind of differences about the amount of water, you can consult three mechanisms,” said Andisha.

This comes a few days after Zarif said that Iran can use the issue of refugees and border transactions to resolve the problem of water distribution. 

When asked if Iran did not have the power to ask Afghanistan for its right to water, Zarif said: “In our perception, regional debates are quite important. We strongly believe in the principles of a good neighborhood. Today, we have best relations with Azerbaijan, we have best ties with Turkey, we have best relations with Pakistan, we have best relations with Afghanistan, but good relations do not mean that we do not have differences.”

“So with Afghanistan, we established five committees, one of the committees is about water, that committee proved beneficial, regarding Helmand water treaty. I must say that international decisions take time. We are bound to a wide range of interactions with Afghanistan. We have border transactions, we have the issue of illegal Afghan refugees, there is the drug smuggling issue, there is the trade issue, but as a major country of the region, we deal in a different manner with our Muslim neighbors,” added Zarif.

Zarif confirmed that the water which Iran receives on an annual basis from Afghanistan is more than the amount of water the two countries agreed upon.

“It was agreed with Mr. Ashraf Ghani two years ago and these five committees have held at least five or six meetings over this period. A framework has been laid out to settle the issue of the Helmand treaty,” said Zarif.

According to the 1973 treaty, Afghanistan is committed to sharing the water from Helmand River with Iran and supply it with 26 cubic meters of water per second or 850 million cubic meters per annum.

Tehran has objected to the establishment of dams on the Helmand, Harirod and Farah rivers.

In the past Afghan officials have accused Iran of trying to create instability in these regions, something Tehran continues to deny. 

MoFA Reacts To Iran’s Remarks On Water Treaty

Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs says differences on water issues between Afghanistan and Iran shall be solved under Article Nine of the Helmand River Treaty.

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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Tuesday reacted to recent remarks by the Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif about the water treaty between the two nations, saying the 1973 Helmand River Treaty between the two countries is still valid.

Pressure is not the solution and Afghanistan is not in pursuit of tension, said Nasir Andisha, Acting Deputy Foreign Minister for Management and Resources.

“There is no need to talk about pressure, because it is an international treaty. Article nine of the treaty clearly states that whenever there is some kind of differences about the amount of water, you can consult three mechanisms,” said Andisha.

This comes a few days after Zarif said that Iran can use the issue of refugees and border transactions to resolve the problem of water distribution. 

When asked if Iran did not have the power to ask Afghanistan for its right to water, Zarif said: “In our perception, regional debates are quite important. We strongly believe in the principles of a good neighborhood. Today, we have best relations with Azerbaijan, we have best ties with Turkey, we have best relations with Pakistan, we have best relations with Afghanistan, but good relations do not mean that we do not have differences.”

“So with Afghanistan, we established five committees, one of the committees is about water, that committee proved beneficial, regarding Helmand water treaty. I must say that international decisions take time. We are bound to a wide range of interactions with Afghanistan. We have border transactions, we have the issue of illegal Afghan refugees, there is the drug smuggling issue, there is the trade issue, but as a major country of the region, we deal in a different manner with our Muslim neighbors,” added Zarif.

Zarif confirmed that the water which Iran receives on an annual basis from Afghanistan is more than the amount of water the two countries agreed upon.

“It was agreed with Mr. Ashraf Ghani two years ago and these five committees have held at least five or six meetings over this period. A framework has been laid out to settle the issue of the Helmand treaty,” said Zarif.

According to the 1973 treaty, Afghanistan is committed to sharing the water from Helmand River with Iran and supply it with 26 cubic meters of water per second or 850 million cubic meters per annum.

Tehran has objected to the establishment of dams on the Helmand, Harirod and Farah rivers.

In the past Afghan officials have accused Iran of trying to create instability in these regions, something Tehran continues to deny. 

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