Tehran, Iran, June 23
By A. Shirazi - Trend:
Iranian Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian said Tehran and Dushanbe have explored ways to develop their cooperation in the fields of energy and extraterritorial farming.
During a meeting in Dushanbe on June 21, Ardakanian held talks with Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojidin Aslov on the sidelines of an international water conference underway in Tajikistan, IRIB news agency reported.
Both sides exchanged views about ways to enhance their mutual cooperation in the sectors of energy and overseas farming.
The Iranian minister said Tajikistan has good potential in the field farming, and the the two countries can increase their agricultural cooperation in the framework of their joint economic commission.
Aslov, for his part, referred to the commonalities between the two nations and called for enhanced cooperation between the two in the fields of energy and water.
He said his country was ready to help Iran with extraterritorial farming in the face of the constraints of worsening land and water resources in Iran.
Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Brazil and Ghana have been cited in Iranian media among the places which Iran was pushing for long-term leasing or ownership of farmlands with higher agribusiness potential.
Iran relies on imports for 90 percent of its requirements for water-intensive products such as wheat and oilseeds. Other water-guzzling crops such as watermelons have a steady army of critics in a country where aquifers are critically overdrafted.
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