"ECHO": IRAN IS ABOUT TO COMPLETE CONSTRUCTION OF DAM ON OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
B. Safarov

Demaz.org
Aug 22 2007
Azerbaijan

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan promised to make public
official position on this issue Iran is about to complete construction
of dam on occupied territories of Azerbaijan contrary to position of
official Baku. Reservoir is being raised near bridge Khudaferin at
bordering river Araz.

Representative of Azerbaijani section of Party of Independent South
Azerbaijan, Sadig Isabeyli, informed "Echo".

We should remind here that the matter concerns the area near Khudaferin
bridge at Araz river. The bridge was built in XII-XIII centuries
between North and South Azerbaijan (today Islamic Republic of Iran).

On Azerbaijani side the bridge is situated on the territory of occupied
Jabrail region. Moreover, in this zone on the right bank of Araz there
is Iranian town Khoda-Aferin. It should also be stressed that before
the above said information was refuted by the Ministry of Energy and
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Tehran
authorities assured that any information concerning any works carried
out by Islamic Republic of Iran on occupied territories of Azerbaijan
is false. At the same time during his last year visit to Yerevan
(28 September, 2006) Minister of Energy of Iran, Parviz Fattakhi,
promised to discuss the dam Khoda-Aferin related construction with
Armenian side.

Accordingly to Isabeyli, station was photographed by activists of
national movement 8-10 days ago. He doesn’t rule out that in near
months Iranian authorities can hold opening ceremony of the object
in question.

"Only finishing works are left. Naturally, officials from Iran will
join opening ceremony. And even if representatives of Armenia won’t
join it, representative of the so-called "Nagorni Garabagh Republic"
will no doubt attend the event", he said.

Isabeyli also stressed that construction of another dam is planned 10
km. lower from the finished one. In case data of dam are calculated
mistakenly Khudaferin bridge will face the flood. Control over
construction of dam, accordingly to S. Isabeyli, is realized by
special service of Iran.

At the same time Isabeyli informed that these structures control
area with 10 km. as length and 15 km. as width left by Azerbaijan
uncontrolled and occupied by Armenia. Isabeyli also stressed that
recently deputy minister of energy of Iran on water issues, Rasul
Zargar, informed IA IRNA that this construction is held in accordance
with agreement concluded between Baku and Tehran. Following activist’s
view such agreement doesn’t exist at all, and if exists, most probably
it was concluded before occupation of Azerbaijani territories by
Armenians.

"The fact that 95% workers involved in construction are inmates
of Persian speaking cities of Iran is worth noting. It is reported
about building of micro-region on the area bordering with Azerbaijan,
not far from station in future. In future Iranian Armenians and the
ones living in Isfahan will be settled there". At the same time he
pointed that local people said that every night starting from midnight
movement of truck caravans moving from Iran to occupied territories
of Azerbaijan is observed. "And nobody knows what are they carrying",
stressed he. Moreover, Isabeyli informed that Iranian authorities
forcibly evict inmates living in bordering areas of Azerbaijan, at
the same time paying tiny compensation. "They give 1-2 dollars for
each square meter", Isabeyli informed. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
Azerbaijan didn’t comment on this information. Head of press service
of the Ministry, Khazar Ibrahim, informed "Echo" that position of
Ministry of Foreign Affairs in this respect will be made known today
"as soon as information will be let known to representatives of
respective administrations".

However, we should remind that before Ministry of Foreign Affairs
of Azerbaijan declared that if it is found out that dam is being
constructed then Azerbaijan would forward its official position
to Tehran, which doesn’t admit such kind of activity on occupied
territories of our country"