DUSHANBE. June 8. “Asia-Plus” — Discussion of Tajikistan’s hydropower potential at the high-level International conference on the medium-term overview of the implementation of the International Decade for Action “Water for Life” for 2005-2015, which is taking place in Dushanbe, has turned to be very tough.
Uzbekistan’s First Deputy Minister of Economy Galina Saidova said that the construction of the Rogun hydropower plant does not meet security standards. “The dam is located in seismically dangerous zone and if it breaks it will cause severe damage to many people in Uzbekistan,” she said.
She noted that “Uzbekistan does not need any verbal guarantees that Tajikistan proposes, we need technically approved written guarantees that the dam will be firm and solid.”
“Uzbekistan will agree with the construction of the given facility only with positive results of feasibility study, which, as well as the expertise, analysis and publication of the results will be funded by the World Bank,” Saidova has said.
Tajik Minister of Industry and Energy Gul Sherali said that Uzbekistan’s arguments have no grounds. “Tajikistan has conducted repeated expertise of the given facility and is planning to do that again to prove to Uzbekistan the legality of the given construction,” he said.
He also added that Tajikistan has already sent written invitation to Uzbekistan to the international consortium for the construction of Rogun.
Meanwhile, senior energy expert from the World Bank Darrel Filds stressed that upstream and downstream countries should have equal access to water resources. She said that apart from energy resources, Tajikistan should use coal and uranium reserves. As for the construction of Rogun, she said that the results of the WB’s reviews will be presented to either side.
Initially, a special session on “The development of hydropower potential of Tajikistan and its importance for resolution of water and energy problems in Central Asia” was planned for the second day of the conference.
