Minister of Defense: Afghanistan’s Neighbors Should Not Worry About the Gaushtepa Canal

Bayan News – Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, the acting Minister of Defense of Afghanistan, stated in a speech addressed to the neighboring countries of Afghanistan that the Gaushtepa Canal has been properly evaluated and will not cause any harm to neighboring countries.

He made these remarks on Thursday, October 11th, during the inauguration ceremony of the second phase of the Gaushtepa Canal in the Faryab province in northern Afghanistan.

Mujahid addressed this issue while recently Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the President of Uzbekistan, expressed concerns about the reconstruction of the Gaushtepa Canal.

The President of Uzbekistan stated that the construction of the Gaushtepa Canal will alter the water balance in Central Asia and that a new water consumer has emerged in the region with no commitment to its neighboring countries.

Now, the acting Minister of Defense of Afghanistan, referring to this matter, added that the construction of the Gaushtepa Canal will not infringe upon the water rights of neighboring countries from the Amu Darya River.

He clearly stated that projects like the Gaushtepa Canal have been properly evaluated and will not harm the neighboring countries of Afghanistan.

Mujahid explicitly said, “We will never trespass on the rights of others in the Amu Darya Sea.”

The Gaushtepa Canal is considered one of the most important economic projects of the Kabul interim government, and with the construction of this canal, most of the lands in northern Afghanistan will be irrigated.