Iran and Azerbaijan held the second joint commission on the Aras River water sources on Thursday in Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
An Iranian delegation headed by Isa Bozorgzade, the head of Joint Water Resources and Border Rivers in the Energy Ministry held talks with the Azeri officials, namely Asgar Asgarov, head of Irrigation and Water Supply Affairs of the republic.
The two sides signed a protocol on the sustainable use of water resources of the river, IRNA noted.
Referring to the first meeting in Baku earlier this year, Asgarov said, "This protocol is the result of our regular gatherings and will help build mutual ties."
He said the two sides have already launched joint projects on the river and onshore. He did provide details.
Describing the talks as successful, he said the protocol was ratified based on the two countries' shared interests and both will equally tap into its resources.
"There is now an estimated 1.3 billion cubic meters of water stored in the Aras Dam that will be divided between the two sides."
Khoda-Afarin Dam, an earth-fill embankment dam being constructed on the Aras River, will have the capacity to hold 1.6 billion cubic meters and will be shared equally.
The dam is located 8km west of Khomarlu in Iran's East Azarbaijan Province and 14km southwest of Soltanli in Jabrayil District of the Azeri Republic.
The two states have been using the river's shared resources for long based on mutual interest and the new protocol will pave the way to use the resources sustainably, Bozorgzade said.
Water Share
According to Mohammad Reza Pourmohammadi, East Azarbaijan Province governor general, the province's share of water from Aras River is 282 million cubic meters a year, of which 180 mcm will be used for farming and industries as soon as the first phase of a plan to transfer water from the river in the northwest to Tabriz is inaugurated.
"The first phase cost $57 million and was funded by the National Development Fund of Iran, the sovereign wealth fund," Pourmohammadi said.
He said 35 kilometers of high-pressure pipelines have been laid while six pumping stations are operational in Golfaraj and Gardian Dams.
"The first phase will provide 102 mcm for 5,000 hectares of land in the province," the governor general noted, adding that the plan when completed would supply water to 3.3 million people in 22 cities and 16 villages in and around Tabriz.
Construction of Phase 2 is estimated to cost $770 million and an agreement has been planned for a deal with a Chinese contractor, he said.
The second phase entails 105km of pipeline in addition to utilities like pumping stations and wastewater treatment plants. Environmental permits have been issued by the Department of Environment.
The project to supply water from Aras River to East Azarbaijan was launched in 2010 and triggered controversy as environmentalists insist it will negatively impact the people's livelihood along the river, especially in Ardebil Province where the water is used both for drinking and farming.
