TEHRAN Iran and Syria here on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding on bilateral cooperation in the areas of management of water resources, providing technical and engineering services and implementation of water projects.

The MOU was signed by the Iranian Minister of Energy Habibollah Bitaraf and the Syrian irrigation minister Taha al-Atrash.

The two officials stressed on promotion of modern irrigation methods, river engineering, education and conduction of joint studies on issues related to water and irrigation systems.

Dispatch of Iranian expert groups to Syria, export of technical and engineering services, manufacture of modern irrigation equipment, encouraging Iranian and Syrian companies to do research works and implementation of joint projects were among other issues stressed in the MOU, IRNA reported.

After inking the MOU, the Iranian minister stressed that the two countries' senior officials are determined to further promote bilateral cooperation.

The two countries have the potentials to establish close ties in the areas of water and irrigation, he added.

Tehran-Damascus economic cooperation enjoys special importance at the present era, Bitaraf said adding that signing of the MOU will help further boost bilateral relations.

Both Iran and Syria are located in a strategic region, al-Atrash said calling for close relations between the two countries in order to resist the Zionist regime's hegemony and drive it from the occupied territories.

Urging the two countries to establish close ties in the fields of water and irrigation, he said that such cooperation will result in expansion of ties in all areas.

The Syrian minister arrived here on Sunday to attend the second two-day conference on the management of water and sewage in Asian countries.

Currently, Tehran water supply is 160 million cubic meters less than last year's, while the recent rainfalls have supplied only 10 million cubic meters.

Tehran has thus been deprived of 40-50 percent of its water supply, and the Ministry of Energy cannot strike a balance between the water supply and demand in Tehran.

To cope with the problem, the ministry intends to supply the 70 million cubic meters shortage from the underground supplies of Taleqan, Lar, and other sources.