DUSHANBE, October 1, 2010, Asia-Plus — Tajik President Emomali Rahmon today received Iranian Minister of Energy Majid Namjou, who arrived in Tajikistan to attend the 8th session of the Tajik-Iranian commission for economic cooperation and the 2nd Ministerial Meeting on Energy/Petroleum of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).
According to presidential press service, the sides discussed a broad range of issues related to bilateral economic cooperation between Tajikistan and Iran, in particular construction of the Sangtuda-2 hydroelectric power plant (HPP).
The Tajik head of state asked to take all possible measures to introduce the first unit of the Sangtuda-2 station into operation before the winter comes, presidential press service said.
Rahmon and Namjou also touched upon implementation of regional projects aimed at development of transport infrastructures and construction of power transmission line from Tajikistan via Afghanistan to Iran.
We will recall that Tajikistan and Iran signed a protocol for Iran to construct the 220MW Sangtuda-2 hydropower station on the Vakhsh River in Dushanbe on January 12, 2005. During President Rahmon’s visit to Iran in January 2006, a number of agreements providing for Iranian assistance for several Tajik infrastructure projects, including construction of the Sangtuda-2 HPP, were signed. Iran has invested 180 million U.S. dollars out of the total 220 million U.S. dollars assigned for the project. The Sangtuda-2 HPP was scheduled to become operational by 2012 but Tajik officials wanted it to be inaugurated sooner than schedule. Once the power station is built, all the revenue over the next 12.5 years will go to the investor and Tajikistan will become the owner of Sangtuda-2 after this period expires.
Rahmon will also receive Pakistani Petroleum and Natural Resources Minister Syed Naveed Qamar Shah today to discuss further bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and Pakistan in energy sector and other branches of economy.
Tajik leader is also expected to meet with the President of Russia’s Academy of Medical Sciences Mikhail Davydov today.
