DUSHANBE, June 29, 2009, Asia-Plus — Afghanistan needs economic methods to address new threats alongside the traditional coercive methods, Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi remarked at a ministerial level meeting of the Group of Eight (G-8) industrialized countries on Afghanistan that was held in Trieste, Italy on June 26-27, according to the Tajik MFA information department.
The conference that consisted of a plenary session and three working sessions considered the following issue: economic development and infrastructure; refugees, migration and human resource issues; agriculture and food security. The two-day conference aimed to promote peace and stability in Afghanistan with the help of its neighbors, including Tajikistan. Issues related to border security and combating drug trafficking were also among major topics of the conference.
Speaking at the conference, Zarifi noted that increasing interest of international community in Afghan problems underscored the necessity of speedy establishment of peace in Afghanistan and reconstruction of its economy.
The Afghan problems cannot be solved through use of force only, and therefore, it is necessary to lay emphasis on supporting reconstruction of Afghanistan’s economy, Zarifi said. According to him, establishment of trade and economic cooperation with Afghanistan is one of efficient methods to address existing threats and challenges.
“Proceeding from this conviction, Tajikistan has built five bridges across the border Panj River and it intends to build several others if there are favorable financial conditions,” Zarifi said, noting that Tajikistan has also established free economic zone (FEZ) in the district bordering Afghanistan.
“Marketplaces for cross-border trade opened by Tajikistan have made contribution to improvement of living conditions of the population of the neighboring country,” said Tajik minister, “We confirm our readiness to participate in the project for construction of a railway link connecting Tajikistan and Afghanistan. In this context, the railway link connecting the Aynak copper deposit in Afghanistan with Kyrgyzstan and China through Tajikistan will be of important regional trade and economic significance.”
According to him, construction of the Dashtijum hydroelectric power station (HPS) with the rated capacity of 4,000 MW will not only improve electricity supplies in Afghanistan, Pakistan and other countries of the region, it will also create conditions for irrigation of more than 1.5 million ha of lands in neighboring Afghanistan as well as Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
Zarifi noted that the WB-supported regional electricity transmission project that would supply summer surplus power from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Central Asia South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Project (CASA 1000), would promote creation of a regional electricity market by facilitating electricity trade between the energy-resource rich countries of Central Asia, and the energy-deficit countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan in South Asia.
Construction of industrial enterprises in border areas, including cement plant in Khatlon’s Shahritus district, will allow providing Afghanistan with building materials, Zarifi said.
