Iraq working to secure equitable share of externally sourced river waters
"Water security is one of the most important pillars of national security," an Iraqi minister said.
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraq will not give up on its right to an equitable share of river waters originating from Turkey and Iran, the Iraqi National Security Adviser Qasim al-Araji said Saturday.
"The Ministry of Water Resources is working seriously for the sake of Iraq's water resources," Araji said during the Water Security Conference in Baghdad.
Turkey and Iraq signed a memorandum of understanding recently that an Iraqi minister said affirms Ankara's commitment to allowing a healthy flow of water into streams sourced in Turkey and flowing into Iraq.
Read More: Turkey will allow 'fair and equitable' water flow to rivers in Iraq, per new MoU, says minister
The Iraqi Minister of Water Resources, Mahdi Rashid al-Hamdani, confirmed on Saturday that the two countries had "activated" the MoU.
"Water security is one of the most important pillars of national security," Hamdani said during the Baghdad conference, noting that Iraq and its northern neighbor have a joint Baghdad-based committee to "coordinate on the water issue."
The minister also noted the importance of Iran-sourced rivers, which account for 15 percent of all external water sources, but on which Diyala province is heavily dependent.