Amirabdollahian, who is accompanied by a number of foreign ministry officials as well as Iran’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan Hassan Kazemi Qomi, held talks with officials in Sistan and Baluchistan Province over Iran’s water rights. The southeastern province is home to Lake Hamun on the Iran-Afghanistan border, which the Helmand River runs into.
Earlier on Wednesday, the top Iranian diplomat discussed the issue with Afghanistan’s Caretaker Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on the phone.
Amirabdollahian said that releasing Iran’s share of the water from the Helmand River is a “serious demand” of Tehran that could affect bilateral ties.
He also stressed the need for the full implementation of a 1973 water-sharing bilateral treaty under which Iran is entitled to receive 820 million cubic meters of water from Helmand each year.
The treaty has never been fully implemented partly because of decades-long instability in Afghanistan.
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