DUSHANBE, August 6, Asia-Plus — Issues related to further expansion of Tajik-Afghan cooperation in the field of energy were discussed at a meeting of President Emomali Rahmon with visiting Afghan Energy and Water Resources Minister Muhammad Ismail Khan in Dushanbe on August 3.  

Speaking to journalists after a meeting with President Rahmon, Afghan minister that in the course of the talks they had considered measures on construction of large hydropower facilities and power grid from Tajikistan to Afghanistan.  “President Rahmon welcomed signing of important agreements between Afghan ministry of energy and Tajikistan’s ministries of energy and industries as well as land reclamation and water resources that were singed in Dushanbe during our three-day visit,” said Ismail Khan, “We underlined the importance of construction of the hydroelectric power station (HPS) on the Panj River in Tajikistan near the Afghan provinces of Takhor and Kunduz.” 

According to him, the sides expressed intention to jointly construct a power plant with capacity of 1,000 MW.  “Besides we confirmed our readiness to construct the Dashtijum HPS with a rated capacity of 4,000 MW,” Afghan minister said.  

He also underlined the importance of construction of a number of power-transmission lines from Tajikistan to Afghanistan.  

“A power grid from the Tajik power plant Sangtuda-1 to the Afghan port Sherkhon Bandar is supposed to have been constructed by the end of 2007,” said Ismail Khan, “In the coming 15 days, we will start construction of the power-transmission line form Panj to Takhor and Kunduz.”  According to him, a 442-kilometer power grid from Mazor-i Sharif to Kabul for supplying electricity from Uzbekistan will be constructed in 10 months.  

Afghan minister further added that in future, it is planned to increase Tajik electricity supplies from 200 MW to 300 MW a year.     

Ismail Khan refrained from giving details about the place for the 1000 MW power plant on the Panj River, noting that sides will still work on feasibility study for the project.  “The place will be selected later,” Ismail khan said.  

Asked about financial resources to fund these projects, Ismail Khan stressed that they will include both contributions of the two countries as well as loans of donors, including the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Islamic Development Bank as well as countries participating in rehabilitation of Afghanistan’s economy.  

According to presidential press service, during the meeting, the side underlined the importance of the projects such as construction of the power grid Tajikistan-Mazor-i Sharif-Heart-Mashhad (Iran) and construction of railway from Tajikistan via Afghanistan to Iran.