Syria and Iran discuss water and energy

DAMASCUS, Syria, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Syria's history of water resource management can only benefit by an expanded working relationship with Iran, the Syrian irrigation minister said.

Damascus welcomed a delegation from the Iranian Energy Ministry to discuss expanding cooperation in the water and electric sectors, the official Syrian Arab News Agency reports.

Syrian Irrigation Minister Nader al-Bunni said his country's expertise in managing its water resources would only benefit through bilateral cooperation.

"Syria's experience in water resources management is big and rich, and can benefit from the exchange of experiences between the two countries to reach the integration of the technical work in the field of water management to serve their interest," he said.

Syria is struggling to manage its water resources as decisions from Ankara affect its access to the waters in the watershed of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

Years of drought, meanwhile, have left much of the Syrian landscape barren.

Syrian electrical officials during bilateral meetings signed agreements with Iranian companies, meanwhile, to launch a 45-megawatt electrical grid in central Syria set for completion by 2011.