Report in TOLOnews, June 01, 2023 at 9:26 PM
The acting Minister of Energy and Water, Abdul Latif Mansour, emphasized the need for negotiations to address the issue of the Helmand water treaty, saying that the issue should not become politicized.
In an interview with TOLOnews, Mansour said that any kind of provocative remarks should be avoided.
“As you have referred to, we have cleared the stance of the ministry in this regard. We are committed to the standing treaty. Whenever there is a drought or there is any challenge, there should be a reference to the agreement in which all of the points have been addressed… the condition of droughts and normal conditions are clearly mentioned,” he said.
A dispute between Kabul and Tehran has recently increased.
“We had said before that we are two Islamic countries and we have relations with each other, religious and cultural relations. Many of our refugees are there, so we respect all these issues and do not want a technical issue to become politicized and for there the negative propaganda between the two countries to rise,” Mansour said.
Analysts suggested that the two sides should hold negotiations to solve the water issues.
“Iran has problems with regional countries and Western countries as well as Arabic countries. It knows there will be a wide conflict that will harm the two countries. It uses some tactics to control water within where it can or to enforce some of its political and economic agendas on the Taliban,” said Aziz Maarij, international analyst.
Addressing a ceremony on the 7th anniversary of the death of former Islamic Emirate leader Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, the acting Minister of Foreign Affair Amir Khan Muttaqi said that the Islamic Emirate is committed to the Helmand water treaty signed in 1973.
Muttaqi said that the recent droughts should not be ignored, and Kabul expects the Iranian officials to make their demands based on the treaty.
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-183606
