The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the contradictory and incorrect statement issued by Afghanistan's governing body regarding Helmand water right saying that the Iran-Afghanistan treaty clearly and without any ambiguity has determined Iran’s water right.






In its statement which was issued on Friday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry stressed that Iran’s water right is a legal, objective and definite.

It added that based on Article 5 of the treaty, Afghanistan is committed to respecting Iran’s right and not taking any action to deprive Iran of its right partially or completely.

Although over the last year and a half, the Afghan rulers have repeatedly emphasized adhering to their obligations according to the treaty, in practice, they have not implemented the obligations and have not provided the necessary cooperation in the release and supplying Iran's rights, the statement reads.

Various remarks for not respecting Iran’s legal rights, including the issue of drought and water shortage in Helmand, require expert reviews, according to the treaty's provisions, and have not been verified by Iranian experts, so adopting such positions is illegal and impossible.

The Islamic Republic has always underlined technical and research cooperation through the water commissioners of the two sides and has demanded a detailed investigation of the water situation in Helmand and the supply of Iran’s water right based on the treaty, the statement added.

The Iranian authorities’ remarks and positions regarding the Helmand water right are completely legal and based on the the treaty and the conditions governing the river, based on expert and technical opinions, and have always been aimed at respecting the principle of good neighborliness and respecting the rights of neighbors, the foreign ministry stressed.

Non-implementation of the treaty and not supplying Helmand's water right by Afghanistan and issuing political statements with no practical action are not acceptable in any way.

The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its rights to take necessary measures and emphasizes the full responsibility of Afghanistan in this regard.

By IRNA