DUSHANBE, July 12, 2010, Asia-Plus — Uzbekistan’s halting of foreign cars bound for Tajikistan has delayed the construction of the Sangtuda-2 hydroelectric power plant (HPP) by almost six months.
Visiting Head of Iranian President’s Office also Chairman of the Council of Iranians Abroad, Mr. Esfandiyar Rahim Mashaei, remarked this at a meeting with reporters today, following his meeting with President Emomali Rahmon.
However, the Iranian side will do its best to complete the construction of the station by the end of this year, he said.
We will recall Tajikistan and Iran signed a protocol for Iran to construct a 220MW Sangtuda-2 hydropower station on the Vakhsh River in Dushanbe on January 12, 2005. During President Rahmon’s visit to Iran in January 2006, a number of agreements providing for Iranian assistance for several Tajik infrastructure projects, including construction of the Sangtuda-2 HPP, were signed. The Sangtuda-2 HPP was scheduled to become operational by 2012 but Tajik officials wanted it to be inaugurated sooner than schedule. Once the power station is built, all the revenue over the next 12.5 years will go to the investor and Tajikistan will become the owner of Sangtuda-2 after this period expires.
According to Mr. Esfandiyar Rahim Mashaei, they also discussed a number of regional issues being of mutual interests. “Iran is interested in stability in the Central Asian region and economic development f the countries of the region,” Iranian official added.
Meanwhile, Esfandiyar Rahim Mashaei yesterday took part at a ceremony of opening of the sports competition for the Abul-Qasim Firdawsi Cup at the Dushanbe Zurkhane (traditional Iranian sports club) and attended a groundbreaking ceremony of the construction of Khane-ye Iran (House of Iran) in the Tajik capital. The construction of Khane-ye Iran in Dushanbe is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
According to the Tajik MFA information department, Mr. Esfandiyar Rahim Mashaei arrived in Dushanbe yesterday on a two-day working visit to discuss with high-ranking Tajik state officials further expansion of economic cooperation between Oran and Tajikistan.
The head of Iranian president’s office is also scheduled to hold meeting with Iranian living in Tajikistan.
