Tehran emphasized the "necessity of cooperation among regional countries on water issues and addressing dust problems, and its readiness to contribute to rehabilitating the water and electricity sectors in Syria." This came in statements by Iranian Energy Minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian during his participation in the third international water conference held in Baghdad, under the patronage of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani, with the participation of ministers and senior officials from several countries and representatives of international organizations.
Mehrabian stated, "This conference, attended by thinkers from regional countries and international institutions, is expected to provide a clearer picture of the water resource conditions in our region, which is home to some of the oldest and most prestigious civilizations facing numerous issues with water resources and the environment, but this can provide an opportunity to enhance regional cooperation to utilize modern technologies to adapt to water scarcity and weather conditions."
He pointed out that "Iran's policy in this area is to engage and cooperate with neighboring countries within the framework of treaties and diplomatic cooperation," calling for "avoiding politicization of water issues with neighboring countries."
Mehrabian also spoke about the depth and strength of Iranian-Iraqi relations in various cultural, commercial, and economic fields. On the sidelines of the conference, during his meeting on Saturday with Syrian Minister of Water Resources Tammam Raad, the Iranian minister announced his country's readiness to participate in rehabilitating the water and electricity sectors in Syria.
Mehrabian said, "We are ready to offer our economic and technical capabilities to rebuild Syria." Referring to the long history of cooperation and exchanges with Syria in various fields of construction and reconstruction, including water and electricity, he noted that "during the recent visit and negotiations conducted by our colleagues with Syrian officials, the electricity sector was one of the most important areas of cooperation discussed."
The Iranian Energy Minister announced the readiness to make fundamental repairs to electricity plants with a total capacity of 5,000 megawatts to reintegrate them into Syria's public electricity grid. He revealed that Iran provided a second line of credit to implement Syrian projects, most of which is expected to be allocated to the electricity sector. He also pointed out that "Iran is also prepared to provide Syria with its expertise in dam construction."
For his part, the Syrian Water Resources Minister stated in the meeting, "Countries that have stood by each other in times of difficulty will undoubtedly be together in times of calm and stability."
