Aboul Gheit Calls on Neighboring Countries of Iraq to Increase Water Quotas

The Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, called on neighboring countries of Iraq to increase the water quota, during the fourth Baghdad International Water Conference held today, Sunday. Aboul Gheit expressed his gratitude to the Iraqi government for hosting the fourth Baghdad Water Conference and affirmed the Arab League's support for the conference. He stated, "This conference will achieve its goals in creating a comprehensive vision for the water situation in Iraq amidst its challenges and complexities, and deepening the understanding of these challenges in the presence of national sectors and neighboring countries." He noted that "the water situation in Iraq continues to exert pressure despite the government's efforts in implementing projects." He added, "The common challenges faced by Arab countries in the field of water, in addition to the specific challenges some countries face due to their geography, as 80 percent of the water in the Arab world comes from outside Arab countries," pointing out that "the issue of water is an existential matter linked to Arab national security."