BAGHDAD (Combined Sources)–Iran, Iraq and Turkey on May 29 signed an agreement on power and energy cooperation, during a one-day meeting in Baghdad.
The three countries agreed to link their national power grids to one another and to Syria, reported the official IRNA news agency.
Iran’s Energy Minister Parviz Fattah noted that Iran had already linked its power grid with Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkmenistan, reports the Mehr news agency.
The memorandum of understanding signed yesterday calls for the power networks of the Persian Gulf states, Central Asian republics and regional countries to be eventually connected to those of Europe.
Speaking at a press conference following the meeting, Iraq’s Minister of Electricity Kareem Waheed, said that Iraq was currently importing 300 megawatts of electricity from Iran and another 150 megawatts from Turkey.
Referring to a water-sharing dispute between Baghdad and Ankara, Turkey’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yidiz said that the matter should be resolved “through talks”.
Yidiz noted that Turkey had supplied Iraq with 17 million cubic meters of water in 2008.
The three ministers plan to meet again in six months in Ankara. Syria’s energy minister will also join those talks.
