By NNN-IRNA
Tehran : The deputy foreign ministers of Iran and Iraq have signed a border agreement to restore the posts at the two countries’ shared land and water international borders, including those in Arvand River.
According to IRNA Political Desk reporter, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister (Arab World and African Affairs) Mohammad-Reza Baqeri said at the ceremony held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here Wednesday to sign the agreement in the presence of Iraq’s Deputy Foreign Minister (Legal Affairs) Muhammad al-Haaj Hammoud that bilateral ties are friendly.
Baqeri said, “It is quite natural that the two countries should cooperate in the process of restoring their shared international borders, including those in Arvand River, and we are at the beginning of that process right now.”
He pointed out that the talks that led to the signing of this agreement were the first round of comprehensive bilateral border negotiations since the end of the (Iraqi) imposed war, adding, “We have reached satisfactory agreements on things to be done in this respect.”
The deputy foreign minister stated that the two sides’ technicians have made great strides amid a very friendly atmosphere, at the beginning of a long road of cooperation that needs to be enhanced in the future.
He said, “There have been no talks on the original 1975 (Algiers) Agreement, that is basically non-negotiable.”
The Iraqi deputy foreign minister, leading the Iraqi delegation, also focusing on the signing of border agreement, said, “What we agreed upon here today was renovation and reconstruction of what existed formerly, as well, parts of which has been destroyed by hooligans.”
Hammoud referred to the course of negotiations that led to the signing of the border agreement, reiterating, “The sincere efforts made on both parts was the sign of bilateral will to expand the dimensions of good neighbourly coexistence.”
The Iraqi official referred to the upcoming state visit of Iraq by Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, saying, “I am glad that this achievement was reached on the verge of President Ahmadinejad’s state visit.”
Hammoud added, “President Ahmadinejad’s visit would be a historic event that would benefit the Iraqi and Iranian nations alike.”
The deputy Iraqi foreign minister said, “Now that this agreement is signed, putting up those land border posts that have been destroyed needs to begin, and we would also restore the status of Arvand River to its original position so that both countries would be able to take full advantage of that waterway.”
Before the ceremony, the deputy head of the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s Borders Head Office reiterated that no talks were made on the original text of the 1975 Agreement.
The Iranian diplomat also mentioned that the two sides have reached agreement on launching shared hydrography operations, spotting capsized vessels in the Arvand River and on re-opening a shared office for coordinating border activities.