Water resources minister, Syrian officials take on water shortage

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Iraqi minister of water resources will meet with Syrian officials to discuss the issue of low water levels in the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, an official statement said on Wednesday. “On Wednesday, Minister Abdullateef Jamal Rasheed will meet with Syrian Premier Naji Otari, and the Syrian minister of irrigation, Nadir al-Bonni, to discuss bilateral relations, particularly in the field of irrigation, as well as the water shortage and the decreased water flow in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers,” read a ministry statement received by Iraqi News. The Iraqi minister will urge the Syrian government to supply Iraq with an additional amount of water to offset the decline in water levels in Iraqi rivers, the statement noted. On Thursday, the minister will meet with the Turkish energy minister and the Syrian irrigation minister to discuss the issue of shared water resources, the statement added. SS (P)/SR 1