DUSHANBE, August 11, 2008, Asia-Plus — Energy ministers of Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Iran are expected to meet in Dushanbe in the near future, according to Barqi Tojik (Tajik electric systems) power holding.
The source at Barqi Tojik said that the sides are currently specifying the date of the meeting, which is expected to take place most likely ahead of a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) due on August 28.
Tajik Minister of Energy and Industries Gul Sherali and his Afghan (Mohammad Ismail Khan) and Iranian (Parviz Fattah) counterparts are scheduled to consider tripartite cooperation in the energy sector, including, a government-to-government power trading agreement will be signed between Tajikistan and Afghanistan and construction of a 220 kV power grid Sangtuda-1-Pul-i Khumri provided for by this agreement, as well as construction of the power grid Central Asia-South Asia-1000 (CASA-100), the Barqi Tojik source said.
An agreement on holding the tripartite meeting of energy ministers of Tajikistan, Iran and Afghanistan was reached during the recent visit of Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi to Tehran, where he attended the third trilateral ministerial meeting of Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan in late July.
