Chairman of Tajikistan’s lower house (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament, Shukurjon Zuhurov, who is currently on his visit to Saudi Arabia, yesterday met in Riyadh with Saudi Deputy Finance Minister, Muhammad Al-Mazyad, Muhammadato Sultonov, a spokesman for the Majlisi Namoyandagon, told Asia-Plus in an interview.  

The two sides reportedly discussed attraction of Saudi investments for development of tourism, energy and transportation in Tajikistan.

In the course of the talks, Zuhurov noted that Tajikistan last October launched the construction of the dam of the Roghun hydroelectric power plant (HPP).

The first unit of the Roghun HPP is expected to be introduced into operation in late 2018, Tajik parliament speaker stressed.     

Under conditions of global financial and economic crisis Tajikistan needs long-term preferential loans for completion of the construction of the Roghun HPP and we hope for support of Saudi Arabia,” Zuhurov said.

For his part, Muhammad Al-Mazyad said Saudi Arabia will increase financing of projects in Tajikistan through the Saudi Fund for Development, Sultonov said.  

To-date, the Saudi Fund for Development has reportedly supported enhancement of Tajikistan’s transportation sector and rehabilitation of social facilities, including hospitals.  In the future, the Fund plans to invest in trade and tourism in Tajikistan, Sultonov added.  

Recall, Tajikistan officially started the construction of the Roghun Dam, a massive project that, if completed, would be the world's tallest and should give the Central Asian nation a stable energy supply.

Italian construction conglomerate Salini Impregilo won a $3.9 billion contract to build the structure, whose opening ceremony on October 29 was attended by President Emomali Rahmon.

At that inaugural event, explosions were used to block the main riverbed of the Vakhsh River, marking the first substantial step toward building the dam.

The Roghun plant is slated to start generating power by late 2018.

Tajik authorities say the Roghun Dam will be able to provide electricity for the whole country. They say the dam could also provide parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan with cheap electricity.

Uzbekistan has voiced concern that the dam in Southern Tajikistan will reduce water flows to its cotton fields.