DUSHANBE, July 14, 2010, Asia-Plus — To strengthen their positions in the Central Asian region, the world superpowers are trying the darndest to destabilize the situation in the region, using the divide-ad-conquer strategy, Head of Iranian President’s Office also Chairman of the Council of Iranians Abroad, Mr. Esfandiyar Rahim Mashaei, remarked at a news conference in Dushanbe on July 13.
He stressed that Iran was currently conducting negotiations with Uzbek authorities over problems existing in relations between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistan is striving for establishing relations with Iran escaping problems connected with Tajikistan, but we gave to understand that Iranians and Tajiks share common culture and history, Iranian president’s chief of staff noted.
He also stressed hat Uzbekistan’s halting of Tajikistan-bound freight cars would finally affect the economy of Uzbekistan itself because it might lose the status of a transit state.
Esfandiyar Rahim Mashaei noted that under that situation, Tajikistan was seeking alternative transit routes to bypass Uzbekistan, including the construction of a railroad link through Afghanistan to avoid delays in rail cargo bound for Tajikistan via Uzbekistan, and this may finally negatively impacted the economy of Uzbekistan’s itself.
“To help solve Tajik rail problems Iran is currently using diplomatic channels and in case of necessity it may resort to other actions,” Mashaei said.
We will recall that speaking to reporters in Dushanbe on July 12, Esfandiyar Rahim Mashaei blamed an Uzbek rail blockade for delaying the completion of a power plant Tajikistan that Iran is helping to build. He noted that Uzbekistan”s blockade of rail traffic bound for Tajikistan has kept crucial construction materials from arriving at the Sangtuda-2 plant. He said construction of the plant is at least six months behind schedule.
Iranian officials warned Uzbekistan last month about the rail blockade, threatening to retaliate by preventing railway cars from Turkmenistan from crossing the border into Uzbekistan.
In the meantime, Iranian president’s chief of staff yesterday also held talks with Tajik Minister of Culture Mirzoshorukh Asrori. The sides discussed issues related to further expansion of cultural cooperation between the two countries.
