DUSHANBE, April 15, 2009, Asia-Plus — Tajikistan and Uzbekistan do not have any serious disagreements over issues related to use of water and energy iresources, Deputy Prime Minister Murodali Alimardon said in an interview with Asia-Plus.
According to him, Uzbekistan has fulfilled all its obligations taken this year, including resumption of Turkmen electricity deliveries and supply of Uzbek power to Tajikistan.
“In March, Uzbekistan supplied 100 million kWh of electricity; besides, Turkmen electricity was supplied to Tajikistan via Uzbek power systems,” the deputy prime minister said.
“For its part, Tajikistan took measures to save water for neighbors,” said Alimardon, “The Qairoqqum hydropower plant in northern Tajikistan saved water for the agriculture needs of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.”
We will recall that in late February and early March, the Qairoqqum hydropower plant in the Sughd province operated with only two of its six water aggregators. The power plant director Fayzullo Avazov told Asia-Plus in early March that that using only one-third of the devices that bring in the water needed to generate electricity helps Tajikistan save water for the agricultural needs of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
Alimardon expressed confidence that no serious problems in relations with Uzbekistan over use of water and energy resources should arise next winter season as well.
“We have reached a preliminary agreement with Uzbekistan on importing some 600 million kWh of Uzbek electricity and more than 1 billion kWh of Turkmen electricity deliveries to Tajikistan during autumn-winter period,” said Tajik official, “An agreement is expected to be signed this summer.”
Alimardon also noted that he did not assess demand of the Uzbek side for independent examination of the Roghun hydroelectricity project by UN specialists as obstacle in the way of implementation of the project. “On these conditions, Uzbekistan welcomes construction of the Roghun hydroelectric power station and even is ready to participate in the project,” said he, “We agree to holding of such an examination and have never denied that. Moreover, the World Bank assists us over this issue, hiring independent experts for working in this direction.”
