Iranian official meets with Iraqi FM to discuss dust storms

The head of the Iranian Department of Environment Ali Salajegheh, who also acts as the vice president, has traveled to Iraq to consult with Iraqi officials about controlling dust storms, which have caused serious problems for the country especially this year.

According to the Iraq News Agency(INA), the two officials held a joint press conference after holding a meeting.

In the press conference, the Iraqi foreign minister said, "We talked to Iran about climate change, drought and desertification. Iraqi and Iranian delegations in Baghdad consulted on addressing the challenges of the climate phenomenon. We also discussed the water issue and its management between Iraq and Iran. Climate change is not specific to one country and it spills over across borders."

Hussein added, " There will meetings and sessions will between the two countries to discuss the issue of shared water and rivers."

Ali Salajegheh, for his part, said, "We talked to the Iraqi side about various cases. Today's meeting is a good beginning for cooperation in the case of dust storms. Iraq and Iran have experience in stabilizing sand dunes."

The Iranian environmental official further said that the Iranian Minister of Energy will travel to Iraq to discuss the issue of dust storms.

Selajegheh arrived in Iraq on Saturday evening at the head of a technical and expert delegation from the Iranian Agriculture Ministry, Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, Ministry of Energy as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and was welcomed by the Iraqi Minister of Environment.

According to the Public Relations office of the Iranian Department of Environment, the Iranian delegation trip aims to exchange views and reach a consensus with the Iraqi authorities on collective cooperation in the region to tackle the sand storms, paying visits to dust storms' origins and review effective and immediate solutions to reduce the effects of the environmental issue.