Russian ambassador: Azerbaijan, Russia agree to use water distributor on Samur River

“The problem was that there has been water distributor owned by Azerbaijan over the Samur River and it is Azerbaijan who decides where to direct the water. Now, Baku is willing to consider sharing water distributor  by taking into consideration interests of both Russia and Azerbaijan,” Dorokhin said on Thursday at a briefing to the press following the official visit by Russian President Medvedev to Azerbaijan.

As for the construction of new water distributor, the ambassador said the Samur River is a trans-boundary river and there is international regulation of the rivers that prohibits one party in any way to change flow of the river without the consent of the other party.

“Once the problem of water distribution is resolved,  the issue of delimitation of the Russia-Azerbaijan border will not be addressed completely. But it allows experts dealing with this issue see in what direction we'll have to go in order remove this issue from the agenda,” Dorokhin said.  

The Russian diplomat said the document also includes construction and repairs of the bridge over the Samur River and it will also facilitate communication between Russia and Azerbaijan.

Russian ambassador said at the moment there are three disputable sections of the Russia-Azerbaijan border and Samur is the biggest and most difficult section.

“We have mutual understanding on two sections and if we address the question (delineation) of Samur, the other two parts of the question to be resolved,” he said.

/Novosti Azerbaijan/