A Preliminary Agreement to Study the Tripartite Electricity Connection

 Baghdad, (ST) – The Minister of Electricity, Eng. Mohamed Zuhair Kharbotli, signed here yesterday with his Iraqi counterpart Qasim Mohammad Fahdawi an initial agreement to study the map of linking electricity between Iraq, Syria and Iran.

 The two sides agreed during their meeting at the building of the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity that the technical committees in the two countries meet and identify the necessary requirements for the implementation of what was agreed upon and complete discussions with the Iranian side to finalize the exchange of energy.

 The two sides discussed the possibilities of exchanging experiences in the fields of energy and ways of benefiting from the industrial resources available in both countries.

  Eng. Kharboutli confirmed that the signing of the final protocol of the agreement will be held in December in Damascus between the Syrian, Iranian and Iraqi ministries.

 Mr. Al-Fahdawi said that the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity is seeking to strengthen cooperation with neighboring countries in the field of electricity exchange and mutual benefit, expressing the hope that this agreement will light up and become operational steps for the implementation of the interests of the three countries.

 “The technical part, which focuses on the limitation of damage suffered by the network on the Syrian and the Iraqi sides, was discussed. He noted that the plan was put in place to implement the necessary reforms,  Undersecretary of the Iraqi Minister of Electricity, Adel Kazem Jarayan said.

 For his part, the Director General of the Electric Transmission Establishment, Eng. Nasouh Sumsmiya explained that the meetings were held with the Iraqi technical side in the last period. The two sides studied re-linking of the electrical system in Syria and Iraq in addition to the limitation of the damage suffered by the high tension line.

 The two ministers discussed the basic guidelines for the preparation of a preliminary memorandum of understanding for the transfer of electricity between Syria, Iraq and Iran.

 An earlier joint meeting of the Syrian, Iraqi and Iranian electricity ministries was held at the Iranian Ministry of Energy in Tehran this month to sign a protocol to restore the tripartite electricity link between the three countries.

 Sh. Kh.