Turkmenistan calls on Afghanistan to "unconditional respect for the interests of all states located along transboundary rivers, on the basis of international law and through the creation of appropriate mechanisms for managing water resources based on the principles of good neighborliness, mutual respect, equality and transparency".
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan said in a press release following the working visit of an Afghan delegation led by Acting Minister of Industry and Trade Nuruddin Azizi on 4-6 March 2024.
"The meeting with the Afghan delegation took place in a friendly and constructive atmosphere."
During the talks, Turkmen side noted that the rational use of water resources in the region should be carried out on the basis of generally recognized norms of international law regulating the regime of water use on transboundary rivers, watercourses and border lakes.
In particular, the attention of the Afghan delegation was drawn to the following issues:
Firstly, the need for a scientifically based and verified approach to water abstraction from transboundary rivers, primarily taking into account the real needs for the use of water resources;
Secondly, to provide hydraulic structures under construction on transboundary rivers with highly qualified personnel capable of ensuring the proper operation of such facilities;
Thirdly, unconditional respect for the interests of all states located along transboundary rivers, on the basis of international law and through the creation of appropriate mechanisms for managing water resources based on the principles of good neighborliness, mutual respect, equality and transparency.
Afghanistan is now actively implementing a project to build the giant Qosh-Tepa Canal in Balkh province on the border with Turkmenistan. At an estimated cost of $684mn, the 285km-long canal will originate in the Amu Darya River. The project is expected to be completed in 2028.
Experts note that the watershed situation in the region could become more complicated once the canal is operational, with downstream Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan likely to suffer the most. Both countries could lose up to 15% of their irrigation water from the region's main river. The Taliban believe the project will help irrigate their country's arid region and boost agriculture.
Eziz Boyarov
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