DUSHANBE, June 12, 2009, Asia-Plus — Achievement of energy independence has become national idea and those who today come out against the Roghun hydroelectricity project are traitors, director of the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of Tajikistan, Suhrob Sharipov, remarked at a roundtable meeting entitled “Water and energy problems in Central Asia: Is Compromise Possible?” in Dushanbe on June 12.
Staged by the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) Office in Tajikistan, the meeting brought together representatives of government institutions from Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, as well as diplomatic missions accredited in Tajikistan, international organizations dealing with that problem and a number of independent experts and media to discuss a number problems related to various aspects of water-and-energy problems in Central Asia that caused numerous disputes and disagreements lately. They also discussed compromise ways of coming out of the situation.
Representatives of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan were also invited to attend the meeting but they did not come for unknown reasons.
Speaking at the meeting, Suhrob Sharipov noted that construction of the Roghun hydroelectric power station (HPS) determined the national development strategy of Tajikistan and “salvation of the Tajik nation consists in the achievement of energy independence.”
“If energy problems of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are not solved, they may lead to social explosion,” said the Tajik think tank head, “However, it is still unclear what could solve the water-and-energy problems of the region.” “Thus, Uzbekistan suggests that Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan should give up plans to build large dams on the trans-border rivers, however, they propose nothing in return for that while peoples of these countries also want to live in the warm.”
Sharipov also noted that it would be better if the region’s countries solved the water and energy use problems on their own, without international mediators, because any organization had its own interests. “Moreover, nobody knows our problems better than we ourselves,” said the senior expert, “Therefore, the regions countries should to come to negotiating table in order to reach a consensus.”
He added, “Whether we want this or not but we should seek solution to this problem and we should find way out of this situation as soon as possible; otherwise, the water-and-energy problem may cause disastrous effects for the whole region.”
