Title: Agreement between Iran and the Soviet Union for the joint utilisation of the frontier parts of the rivers Aras and Atrak for irrigation and power generation

Parties: Iran, USSR

Basin: Araks, Atrak

Date: 8/11/1957

AGREEMENT¹  BETWEEN IRAN AND THE SOVIET UNION FOR THE JOINT UTILISATION OF THE FRONTIER PARTS OF THE RIVERS ARAS AND ATRAK FOR IRRIAGTION AND POWER GENERATION, SIGNED AT TEHERAN ON 11 AUGUST 1957²

The Imperial Government of Iran and the Government of the Soviet Socialist Republics, signatories to this Agreement, taking cognisance of the friendly relations existing between the two countries and desiring further to strengthen these relations, do hereby agree to utilise their respective equal rights of fifty per cent of all water and power resources of the frontier parts of the rivers Aras and Atrak for irrigation, power generation and domestic use and, to this end, agree to the following joint enterprises.

Article I

The parties hereto agree that the utilisation of the above fifty per cent right on the part of each will require separate and independent division and transmission of water and power in each party's territory, in accordance with the provisions of a general preliminary project prepared for the joint utilisation of the rivers and mutually agreed upon.  If the activities of one of the parties in utilising its fifty per cent of all resources are slower than those of the other, this fact shall not deprive that party of its right of utilising all its share.

Article 2

Both parties hereto agree jointly to carry out exploration of the rivers Aras and Atrak all along the border common to the U.S.S.R. and Iran and accumulate technical data related to their respective flows.  They also agree to carry out necessary outdoor and indoor studies for the preparation of preliminary plans for irrigation and power generation from the strait of Ghis Ghalasi up to the end of the frontier of the river Aras (map attached) and all frontier parts of the Atrak river.

Article 3

Taking into consideration the desire of the two parties for an early commencement of the work herein agreed upon, it is further agreed that within three months of the date of the signing of this Agreement, composite groups shall be appointed to commence exploratory work and upon its completion, composite survey teams shall be named by the respective parties to carry out the survey works in. the field in respect to joint establishments.  These teams shall carry out the survey works in accordance with the schedule attached to this Agreement and shall report to the parties concerned once every three months, on matters of topography, geology, hydrology, economics and relating to, this Agreement.

Article 4

The shores of the rivers Aras and Atrak as mentioned in the above, will be jointly explored on both sides by three composite groups, each    four experts and one interpreter from each party. For the exploration of the river Aras two composite groups and on the river Atrak one such group will carry out the operations. Each host group will provide the guest members of the composite exploratory and field survey groups, as mentioned in Article 3 above, with transportation and other requisites for subsistence in the host country.  The host group will also provide all facilities required for the progress of their operations.

Article 5

Studies and clerical work on the preliminary plans for establishments that are of mutual interest (division dams and reservoirs for both rivers) will be carried out in the Soviet Territory by the U.S.S.R party with the participation of the Iranian experts.  The Iranian party  will send ten experts to the Soviet Union at its own expense to take part in the said works.

¹ No information is available regarding the entry into force of this Agreement

² British and Foreign State Papers, Vol. 163, p. 428.