Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – October 4, 1991

I reviewed domestic and foreign news and reports. The escalation of the Yugoslav crisis due to the political coup is noteworthy. Because of the foggy weather, helicopters could not fly. We went to the Mil Moghan Dam by car. It is a diversion dam built in cooperation with Iran and the Soviet Union and is jointly operated. I spoke with Iranian and Russian officials. The dam itself has a bridge over the Aras River, which enables movement and traffic between the two countries.  

Azerbaijanis have requested to transport fifty trucks of supplies daily from Iran to Nakhchivan via this bridge and the Astara Bridge, and we have agreed. This is because Armenians have blocked the connection between the two parts of Azerbaijan. I ordered that it be able to function as a customs point. Mr. [Morteza] Mohammad Khan, the head of the Customs Administration who is accompanying us, issued the executive order.

The helicopters have also arrived. The Friday prayer leader and the notables of Aslanduz, which is located near the dam, came and requested help for the asphalt paving of Aslanduz and the road. We flew by helicopter towards the Khodaafarin Dam and the Qez Qala Si [=Qal‘eh Dokhtar] diversion dam, and along the path by the Aras River, we observed the soil of Soviet Azerbaijan. There are scattered villages. It seems more populated than this part.

The border road and the railway line. The water situation on the other side is better. Overall, they said 50 or 58 percent of the Aras water comes from the Soviet Union, 16 percent from Iran, and 26 percent from Turkey. The Khodaafarin Dam is being built with the cooperation of Iran and the Soviet Union. Upstream, there are two very old bridges over the Aras that were built hundreds of years ago and are historical monuments.

One of them is usable, and half of the other is destroyed; it was planned to build an earthen dam in this location, but the Soviets preferred, to preserve these monuments, to move a little upstream and make it a concrete dam, which we also agreed to. And since our concrete pouring capacity is better than the Soviets', it has been decided that Iran will be the contractor for constructing the dam body.Currently, the two sides are busy equipping the workshop in a common zone and preparing the preparations for the work and building the road and then diverting the water. 14 villages from the Soviet Union and 4 villages from Iran will be submerged and this dam will store 1.7 billion cubic meters of water and regulate 4.5 billion, which will provide all our consumption needs and irrigate all the arable lands in the region, and the surplus will be for industry and other uses.

At the workshop, the head of the regional water organization explained. The people of the region gathered and expressed their needs: schools, roads, health, replacing villages that are flooded and strengthening cultural facilities. They are faithful, religious and deprived people.

We flew to Bileh Sawar by helicopter. From space, we observed two sides of Aras and the depth of our side: pastures and traditional cattle ranches and deserted centers of nomads next to the desirable and advanced development of agricultural and industrial lands of Moghan. This company has made a great impact on the development of the region and the situation is improving. The condition of the roads is not good.

Bileh Savar is a small border town and the customs office of the region is there. Almost all the people had participated in the reception and expressed their feelings very friendly and enthusiastically. Friday imam said welcome and the governor raised the needs and I gave an encouraging speech. Since it was said that a group of people from Soviet Azerbaijan are also present in the square among the people, I encouraged more cooperation between the people of both sides.

From there we flew to Gerami, [the center of Moghan region]; It is a mountainous city with urban problems. It has narrow streets and is clean. They have a water problem. The reception was magnificent and the crowd was very large and enthusiastic. We participated in the gathering of the people in the half-finished and dirt stadium. As usual, Imam Juma and the governor spoke and I gave a speech. From there we flew to Khalkhal. The clerics were in a lot of heat and requested a separate meeting time, which was not given. We were an hour and a half behind schedule.

After an hour's flight, we arrived in Khalkhal at half past two in the afternoon. It is raining on the way in the highlands. In the streets of Khalkhal, the huge crowd of people made it difficult to pass and the cars were moving very slowly. The people are cheerful, enthusiastic, strong and loving. After prayer, lunch and a little rest at the governor's place, we went to the stadium; A huge crowd of people had gathered. It was also drizzling. For this reason, I had the excuse of shortening the program, which was a good opportunity due to the delay of the programs and my extreme fatigue.

The representative of the city and the governor welcomed and raised many needs. I spoke briefly and explained. With the completion of five roads under construction and the connection of Khalkhal to the surrounding cities and roads, this area will become a prosperous and prosperous area. The conditions are normal and good, but the water is not contained and the roads are half finished.

We flew to Ardabil and arrived around five in the afternoon. We were greeted warmly by people in the streets. They clapped and chanted. I participated in a huge and unprecedented gathering of people at the stadium with the serenity of the city. Imam Juma and the governor spoke. With slogans and placards, the people wanted Ardabil to become a province. I gave them a speech and encouraged and honored the people of Azerbaijan.

We went to our residence in the governor's place. After Maghrib prayer, resting and listening to the news, I participated in the group of clerics of the region. In this meeting, the talks of Mr. [Buyuk Khalilzadeh] Morouj, [Imam Juma Ardabil] and my advice and the recommendation to make more efforts in the recognition and promotion of Islam and cultural assistance to the Muslims of Soviet Azerbaijan were discussed. A group of leaders of the city came to follow up on the city's issues and demanded the approval of Ardabil becoming a province or the administration of the city's departments.

We ate dinner together. Then I participated in the meeting of the administrative council of the province. [Mr. Akbar Parhizkar], the governor of [East Azerbaijan] and the governor of Ardabil, gave a report on the state of the province and the city and told the needs. I also told about the country's situation and global and regional policies, and recommended unity and more work. I slept tiredly.