DUSHANBE, January 21, Asia-Plus  -- Tajikistan’s residents will feel efforts of builders of the Sangtuda-1 power plant soon, President Emomali Rahmon remarked at ceremony of the launch of the first of four units of the Sangtuda-1 station on January 20. 

The president stressed that completion of the construction of the Sanguta-1 station would be an important step towards achievement of Tajikistan’s energy independence.  

Underlining the significance of the Tajik-Russian cooperation, the Tajik head of state noted that the launch of the first unit would be added to history of bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and the Russian Federation as the beginning of qualitatively new stage of cooperation.

President Rahmon pointed to the importance of hydropower resources of Tajikistan as world reserves of other energy resources run low.

“In our region [Central Asia], which is now affected by process of global warming, the Aral Sea crisis and shortage of water, construction of multifunctional hydropower plants is the most optimal way of use of water-and-energy resources,” President Rahmon said, stressing that construction of new power plants would allow not only resolving electricity deficiency crisis but also providing all states of the region with water during dry years.  

He said that Tajikistan came out for wide cooperation among states of the region in implementing those plans and was ready for partnership in that direction.  

“Construction of the Sangtuda-1 hydropower plant is an example of successful cooperation and we hope that it will promote mitigation of effects of shortage of water and energy,” President Rahmon said.