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BAKU NOT APPROACHED BY TEHRAN OVER LAKE URMIA, ARAZ RIVER
news.az
Sept 7 2011
Azerbaijan
Iran has not approached Azerbaijan about diverting water from the Araz
River to save Lake Urmia, Ecology Minister Huseyngulu Bagirov has said.
He was speaking at an international forum in Gabala on the disposal
of pesticides, 1news.az reported.
The minister said he had heard about plans for the possible use
of water from the Araz River to restore Lake Urmia, only from the
Iranian media.
"I note that Azerbaijan and Iran have an agreement on the use of the
Araz River, which covers many issues, including the amount of water
that the parties can use for their own needs. An ecological minimum
of water has to be preserved," Bagirov said.
"For example, Armenia has deliberately changed the direction of flow
of the Tovuzchay River and I believe that nature and God will punish
them for this. When there are floods, Armenia will fail to cope with
them and divert the water in the right direction. As for Iran, the
Iranians have not yet far contacted us about using the Araz River to
fill Lake Urmia," Bagirov said.
The saltwater Lake Urmia, which straddles Iran's provinces of West
Azerbaijan and East Azerbaijan, is rapidly drying up.
Public protests at official inaction on the lake have been gaining
momentum in recent months. On Saturday, 60 protesters were arrested
in Urmia, Iranian news agencies reported.
news.az
Sept 7 2011
Azerbaijan
Iran has not approached Azerbaijan about diverting water from the Araz
River to save Lake Urmia, Ecology Minister Huseyngulu Bagirov has said.
He was speaking at an international forum in Gabala on the disposal
of pesticides, 1news.az reported.
The minister said he had heard about plans for the possible use
of water from the Araz River to restore Lake Urmia, only from the
Iranian media.
"I note that Azerbaijan and Iran have an agreement on the use of the
Araz River, which covers many issues, including the amount of water
that the parties can use for their own needs. An ecological minimum
of water has to be preserved," Bagirov said.
"For example, Armenia has deliberately changed the direction of flow
of the Tovuzchay River and I believe that nature and God will punish
them for this. When there are floods, Armenia will fail to cope with
them and divert the water in the right direction. As for Iran, the
Iranians have not yet far contacted us about using the Araz River to
fill Lake Urmia," Bagirov said.
The saltwater Lake Urmia, which straddles Iran's provinces of West
Azerbaijan and East Azerbaijan, is rapidly drying up.
Public protests at official inaction on the lake have been gaining
momentum in recent months. On Saturday, 60 protesters were arrested
in Urmia, Iranian news agencies reported.