DUSHANBE, February 16, 2014, Asia-Plus – On Friday February 14, Tajik President received visiting Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister, Ebrahim Rahimpour.
According to the Tajik president’s official website, the sides discussed state and prospects of bilateral mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries. Issues related to expansion of trade and economic cooperation as well as implementation of joint projects in Tajikistan were a major topic of the talks.
The present day conditions in Afghanistan and its future perspective as well as some regional and international issues being of mutual interest were also discussed at the meeting,
After the meeting, the Iranian deputy foreign minister reportedly told reporters that they had also discussed the issue of resumption of operation the Sangtuda-2 hydroelectric power plant (HPP).
Mr. Rahimpour noted that the Sangtuda-2 HPP suspended operations in December due to technical problems and expressed hope that the plant will resume operations in the near future, the Tajik president’s website said.
We will recall that the first unit of the plant was introduced into operation on September 5, 2011. Tajik and Iranian presidents attended a joint ceremony to unveil the Sangtuda-2 dam and power plant. This 110 MW unit does not yet operate in full capacity
Construction of Sangtuda-2, a 220-megawatt plant on the Vakhsh River, officially commenced in February 2006. It is located some 120 kilometers southeast of Dushanbe.
Iran, which has put some 180 million U.S. dollars into the construction of the hydropower station, will operate it for the next 12 years and then transfer control to Tajikistan, whose contribution to the construction costs amounted to around 40 million U.S. dollars.
The plant has not been in operation since mid-December 2013.
Meanwhile, Iranian media sources report that referring to his recent phone talks with President Hassan Rouhani, as well as the two presidents September meeting in Bishkek, President Rahmon expressed certainty that during President Rouhani’s tenure Tehran-Dushanbe relations will be further enriched.
The Iranian foreign policy is achieving its major pre-determined objectives during the short while that the new president has been in office in Tehran, Tajik president was quoted as saying.
According to IRNA, President Rahmon said that Iran is one of the most important economic and trade partners of Tajikistan in the world.
On Friday morning, Rahimpour had a separate meeting with Tajik Foreign Minister Sirodjiddin Aslov and on Friday evening he took part in a press conference with the local Tajik media.
