Iran’s Energy Minister Arrives in Kabul; Water Rights Issue on Agenda?

AhlulBayt News Agency: According to the Iranian Embassy in Kabul, Aliabadi is scheduled to meet with several Afghan officials during his visit and attend the fifth Imam Abu Hanifa National and International Exhibition.

The exhibition is one of Afghanistan’s major trade events and aims to promote domestic products, support the private sector, attract investment and expand Afghanistan’s commercial ties with regional countries.

Meanwhile, an Iranian business delegation of around 180 members, led by Mahmoud Siadat, head of the Iran-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce, arrived in Kabul a day earlier. The delegation is expected to discuss trade, joint investment and economic cooperation with Afghan counterparts.

The visit comes as energy cooperation between Tehran and Kabul has expanded in recent weeks. During Aliabadi’s latest meeting with Ahmad Jan Bilal, head of the Taliban’s state-owned companies, the two sides discussed electricity supplies, drinking water and the construction of wastewater treatment facilities.

At that meeting, Iran’s energy minister said Tehran was prepared to provide Afghanistan with up to 2,000 megawatts of electricity to meet its needs and cooperate in training Afghan technical personnel.

Could Iran’s water rights be discussed?

Iran’s water rights from the Helmand River could also be an important issue surrounding Aliabadi’s visit. The Iranian minister has previously referred to the country’s rights to water from the Helmand River as part of Tehran’s broader water diplomacy.

Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said on October 1 that part of Iran’s water entitlement from Afghanistan had been provided, while diplomatic efforts to secure continued access to the water were still underway.

However, there has been no official confirmation so far that Aliabadi will raise the Helmand water-rights issue during his current meetings with Taliban officials in Kabul. For now, therefore, the issue remains a potential topic of discussion rather than a confirmed item on the talks’ agenda.