Iran is holding talks with Tajikistan on import of approximately 1bln cubic meters of drinking water, Iranian Energy Minister Majid Namjoo spoke at the 9th session of the Tajik-Iranian intergovernmental commission for trade and economic cooperation which was held last Sunday, May 27, in Tehran.
As reported by the Tehran Times, Iranian energy minister said that Iran, Tajikistan and Afghanistan have previously agreed to set up a joint water and energy corridor.
“National energy networks of the three countries should be connected to a 500-kilowatt power line,” he said, adding that technical aspects of the project and the volume of required investments are being currently evaluated.
Mr. Namjoo stressed that in March this year Tajik, Afghan and Iranian leaders signed memorandum of understanding for construction of a road that will link the three countries.
In the course of their trilateral meeting in Dushanbe on March 25 Presidents of the three countries signed the agreement of cooperation for development of communications.
“The road will let us lay a new pipeline to import oil and gas from Iran and deliver drinking water from Tajikistan to Iran, Afghanistan and other countries of the Persian Gulf,” he said. “We also discuss an opportunity for construction of oil processing factory in Tajikistan.”
Earlier this month Abdulhusein Bayat, representative of the Iranian National Gas Company, told Mehr News that Tajikistan is interested in import of natural gas from Iran and added that “the talks are expected to start within the nearest time.”
Prior to this statement Iranian Ambassador to Tajikistan Ali Asgar Sherdust said that Iran is planning to export gas to Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and China through a new gas pipeline. “According to the Dushanbe agreement signed by the leaders of Tajikistan, Iran and Afghanistan, the pipeline will link Iran with Tajikistan through Afghanistan and will go further to Kyrgyzstan and China,” the Iranian diplomat said.
