Afghanistan, Iran to sign agreement for comprehensive cooperation: sources

A document for “comprehensive cooperation” between Afghanistan and Iran would be signed during the next three months, sources said.

Sources told Ariana News that based on the document, Iran will cooperate with Afghanistan in the economic, cultural, educational, and security sectors; in exchange, Iran wants Afghanistan to back down from its stance about Helmand water.

Have Kabul and Tehran reached an agreement on Helmand water?

According to some sources, based on a comprehensive document to be signed between Kabul and Tehran in the coming months, the Afghan government will cut its position on the waters of Hamun and Helmand, and in return, Iran will cooperate with Afghanistan into economic, cultural and security fields.

Ali Ahmad Osmani, a former energy and water minister, said: “The downstream country that claims to own the litigation must prove that it has the right. When it is possible to prove it, they have used this water for years. If it fails to prove it, the job is done.”

But what is the comprehensive document?

 The document includes five committees, including the Water Committee, the Immigrant Affairs Committee, the Cultural Committee, the Security Committee, and the Economy and Transit Committee.

Afghanistan and Iran began talks on signing the document several years ago, when Hanif Atmar was a National Security Council adviser, and now, with Mr. Atmar at the Foreign Affairs Minister, the document is expected to be finalized in less than three months.

“Water must be transformed from a matter of conflict to a matter of cooperation between the two countries. It is not right for people on one side of the border to be thirsty and the other side to be irrigated,” said Abbas Iraqchi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment on the matter, but the ministry expects the signing of the document to end the water dispute between the two countries.