Iraq, Turkey: The importance of implementing the framework agreement of water

INA - BAGHDAD

Minister of Water Resources Aoun Diab Abdullah stressed on Sunday with Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Berris Ekinci the importance of implementing the framework agreement in the field of water.

"Within the framework of efforts aimed at enhancing cooperation between Iraq and Turkey in the field of water resources management, Minister  Abdullah held a meeting with Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Ekinci and the accompanying delegation, in the presence of the Turkish Ambassador to Iraq, to discuss several major issues related to the water file, most notably Iraq's water share from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and the necessity of sharing the damage to overcome the challenges of the upcoming summer season and building a water reserve, in addition to securing water for the distillation stations in the first place," said the Ministry in a statement - received by the Iraqi News Agency - INA.

The two sides discussed "ways to activate and implement the framework agreement between the two countries in the field of water, which aims to enhance technical cooperation and joint management of water resources."

"The importance of this agreement in achieving stability and sustainable management of water resources was emphasized," added the statement.

Diab stressed "the need to accelerate the implementation of the framework agreement projects signed between the two countries, such as the Amara irrigation project, which aims to meet the needs of farmers in southern Iraq using closed pipe water transfer technologies."

"Six major projects have been identified, three of which focus on establishing irrigation and drainage networks, and the other three on water harvesting dams," he noted, stressing "the importance of technical cooperation with the Turkish side, as joint technical committees have been formed to monitor the implementation of projects and update designs according to modern standards."

The statement included that "Turkish companies have been invited to participate in the implementation of these projects due to their extensive experience in this field."