A toast to friendship
Iran and Turkmenistan have taken a step towards averting future water disputes. On April 12, 2005, they opened a dam in Germabab Mountains that will meet their water requirements. The dam, located partly in Turkmen and partly in Iranian territory, is called Dostluk in Turkmenistan and Doosti in Iran, both names meaning friendship. Its reservoir will store a seasonal river's water. The us$168 million dam will irrigate 50,000 hectares land; the two countries will share the benefits equally.