DUSHANBE, June 13, 2009, Asia-Plus — In a report released at a roundtable meeting entitled “Water and Energy Problems in Central Asia: Is Compromise Possible?” in Dushanbe, an official with Kazakhstan’s Institute for Strategic Studies Bulat Auyelbayev revealed on June 12 that Kazakhstan will not support Uzbekistan’s stance regarding solving water-and-energy problems facing Central Asia but it will also not actively support Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
“Indeed, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan suffer an cute energy crisis during the winter period, and it is natural that they are seeking solution to this problem through use of domestic resources they have,” Mr. Auyelbayev said.
He noted that the problem of Uzbekistan was in agriculture, which was a water-using sector. “Last year, severe water shortages forced Uzbekistan to reduce areas under cotton,” said Kazakh expert, “Since Uzbekistan is an agrarian country, it has more rigid stance regarding the use of water and energy resource in the region.”
According to him, the region’s countries are strongly interdependent, and therefore, they should seek comprise. “We consider that creation of water-and-energy consortium in Central Asia could help solve important regional problems, including the hydropower, agrarian and fuel-and-energy ones,” said Auyelbayev, “The Kambarata GRES, in construction of which Kazakhstan is ready to participate, could become foundation for creation the consortium.”
He believes that joint construction of that facility will give an opportunity to create the regional water-and-energy consortium that could help solve many serious energy and other problems in the region.
