DUSHANBE, May 5, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- On Wednesday May 4, Tajik Ambassador to Pakistan Zubyadullo Zubyadov met in Islamabad with Pakistani Federal Minister for Science and Technology Mir Changez Khan Jamali.

According to the Tajik MFA information department, the two discussed issues related to establishment and expansion of scientific and technological cooperation between Tajikistan and Pakistan.

Pakistani minister reportedly offered to work out a draft agreement between the two countries on scientific and technological cooperation as soon as possible.

Mir Changez Khan Jamali also noted that his country had needs in Tajik electric power, which was in surplus in the summer period, and therefore he would do  all that was in his power to promote implementation of the Central Asia South Asia Regional Electricity Trade Project (CASA 1000), the source said.

Central Asia - South Asia Regional Electricity Market (CASAREM) is a concept for developing electricity trade among the countries of the two regions through a set of projects and associated investments, underpinned by the relevant institutional arrangements and legal agreements.

To pursue this idea, four countries, including Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia and Afghanistan and Pakistan in South Asia, have agreed to develop the first project under CASAREM, with more than two countries involvement. The project aims to establish the necessary transmission and trading infrastructure and systems to enable a trade of about 1300 MW of electricity between Central Asia and South Asia, and is referred to as CASA-1000.