Iraqi President calls for negotiations with Turkey, Iran on water
The Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid. Photo: AFP
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi President, Abdul Latif Rashid, called for serious negotiations with Turkey and Iran to ensure fair water shares for Iraq, according to a press statement issued by the Iraqi Presidency.
The statement mentioned that Rashid discussed the latest developments related to country’s water issue during a meeting on Sunday with the Minister of Water Resources, Aoun Diab Abdullah.
Rashid stressed the need to ensure fair water shares for Iraq from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and to coordinate with Turkey and Iran through serious negotiations to reach solutions that guarantee just water shares for all, the statement elaborated.
The Iraqi Presidency is working to form a higher council for water that includes experts from the relevant ministries to find solutions to the water issue, the statement explained.
The Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources announced last November that it drew up a two-pronged plan to reduce the effects of water scarcity in the country.
The spokesperson of the Ministry of Water Resources, Ali Radi, clarified that the first part of the plan is to ensure fair distribution of water to all sectors in Iraq, and the second part includes Iraq’s openness in relations with upstream countries, through negotiation committees and communication with Turkey, Iran and Syria to support the water issue.
Last October, Rashid expressed his confidence that the Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources has a set of proposals and projects to improve the water situation in Iraq.