Iran, Iraq to Dredge Arvand river

Iran and Iraq have agreed to solve the issue of dredging of Arvand River (Shatt al-Arab) in Iranian southwestern city of Khorramshahr in Khouzestan.

Based on the agreement reached, it was decided to establish a temporary technical committee with the aim of providing the preconditions for joint dredging of Arvand River, said Fars News Agency.

"It is expected that more technical meetings with Iran and Iraq experts will be held for dredging operations at Arvand river in the upcoming ten days," said Alireza Khojasteh, Director General for Maritime Safety & Marine Environment Protection Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran.

The Task Force will conduct technical studies on Arvand dredging by holding regular meetings every two weeks and present its proposals to the Joint Meeting. The parties also agreed to hold the first meeting of this technical committee on June 9 this year in Baghdad.

The head of the delegation Iran at this joint meeting was the Directorate General of International Law of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and head of the Iraqi delegation was the country's supreme adviser to the foreign minister.

The Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development and the managing director of the Ports and Maritime Organization had announced the beginning of the dredging of Arvand River after the holy month of Ramadan.

In this regard, the follow-up process for Arvand River dredging was started through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to hold technical meetings with the Iraqi side and make the final decisions for the opening of the Office for joint cooperation.

Arvand is a river of some 200 km in length, formed by the confluence of the Euphrates and the Tigris in the Basra Governorate of southern Iraq. The southern end of the river constitutes the border between Iraq and Iran down to the mouth of the river as it discharges into the Persian Gulf.