Iran signed the agreement with northern neighbors to transfer water from its sector of the Araz River to Orumiyeh Lake, IRNA quoted Iran’s Energy Minister Majid Namjou as saying.
“The Araz River is located in the border,” he said. According to the agreement with neighbors, about 50 percent of the river belongs to Iran and the rest to its neighbors.”
He said that water transferred from the Araz River to the west of Azerbaijan in the long term period will solve the drought problem in Orumiyeh lake.
Iran will use water from the Araz River and the country will not seek for using sectors of other neighbors.
The Iranian government approved assigning $900 million to protect Orumiyeh Lake from drying up. This amount has been granted to transfer water from rivers in the Kurdistan province to Orumiyeh Lake .
Earlier, the Ecology and Natural Resources Minister of Azerbaijan Huseyngulu Bagirov said that Iran has not officially appealed to Azerbaijan regarding the use of Araz River waters to prevent Lake Urmia(Orumiyeh).
He said that the Azerbaijani side was informed of the use of Araz River waters to prevent the swallowing of Lake Urmia only through media reports.
“If in fact there is such an intention, Iran must coordinate this issue with Azerbaijan,” Bagirov said, stressin…
