Iraq-Iran Talks on Borders, Shatt al-Arab

Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari held talks in Tehran last week with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mohammad Javad Zarif, on the issue of the Shatt al- Arab, land borders and border rivers.

The talks were held in a friendly and constructive atmosphere with a common desire to address the raised issues in accordance with the good-neighbor principle, the rights and obligations of the two countries.

The two sides reviewed results of the joint technical committees meetings, the substantial progress made in the field of establishing mechanisms to settle all outstanding issues and ways to get rid of the disastrous war legacy including the confrontation and hostility between the two friendly countries and peoples.

The two sides reached understandings on how to move forward and implement the agreements in accordance with the borders treaty, protocols and agreements signed between the two countries in 1975.

The discussions focused on the development of bilateral relations and solution of all outstanding issues concerning river borders in the Shatt al-Arab , land borders and common rivers on the borders. The talks resulted in reaching agreements on the delimitation of the river borders in Shatt al-Arab in a way that ensure interests and rights of both parties through the re-counting of the ( Talouk ) line border, in addition to cleaning Shatt al-Arab and removing drowned bodies , preventing pollution , conserving its environment , regulating the navigation in a manner that serves interests of the two countries' ports .They also agreed on resuming work on the land borders , the borders' common rivers and sharing of their water.

The agreements were included in the joint memorandum of understanding to be signed as soon as possible, the two Ministers also exchanged views on a number of regional issues, particularly the Syrian crisis and its tragic consequences on the Syrian people and the region as a whole, and stressed the need to search for political solutions and initiatives by countries of the region to put an end for the crisis. The Iranian Foreign Minister briefed Mr. Zebari on the latest result of the nuclear talks in Vienna.

The two Ministers held a press conference in which they reviewed results of two delegations' talks.

(Source: MoFA)