Iraq blames neighboring countries for the water crisis it faces
The Iraqi President, Abdul Latif Rashid, during a speech he delivered at the Ministry of Water Resources. Photo: Iraqi Presidency
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – During a speech he delivered on Sunday at the Ministry of Water Resources, the Iraqi President, Abdul Latif Rashid, blamed neighboring countries for the water crisis the country is facing.
The Iraqi President stated that some factors contributed to the current water crisis, explaining that these factors are climate change, the actions of neighboring countries, and water management in Iraq.
Rashid urged the Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources to form a permanent committee to negotiate with officials in Turkey, Syria, and Iran regarding the water issue, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
The Iraqi president talked about the role of water as an essential element in social and economic development all over the world and in Iraq, where the first Sumerian, Babylonian, and Assyrian civilizations arose on the banks of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers thousands of years ago.
The Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources mentioned earlier on Sunday that a government delegation is visiting Turkey to increase water flows in the Euphrates River.
Baghdad appealed to Ankara last March to take measures that guarantee Iraq’s share of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers from the Turkish side and to activate the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two countries on ways to enhance constructive cooperation.