DUSHANBE, May 30, 2011, Asia-Plus — Shukurjon Zuhurov, Chairman of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament), today met here with Mr. Struan Stevenson, a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Scotland and President of the Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development Intergroup in the European Parliament.
In the course of the talks, Zuhurov and Stevenson discussed a broad range of issues related to inter-parliamentary cooperation and ways of seeking solution to the water-and-energy problems existing in the Central Asian region.
At the beginning of the meeting, Tajik parliament speaker appreciated MEP Stevenson’s active position on protecting implementation of the Roghun hydroelectricity project and stressed that number of supporters of that position was increasing from day to day.
MEP Stevenson, for his part, expressed gratitude to the Majlisi Namoyandagon speaker for a cordial welcome and noted that he planned to visit the site for construction of the Roghun hydroelectric power plant (HPP) on Tuesday on the invitation of President Emomali Rahmon.
“I am sure that Tajikistan may play a major role as key partner for the European Union in Central Asia because it is located in the center of this strategically important region of the world,” Mr. Stevenson noted. According to him, the Western countries must support Tajikistan’s president for creation of buffer against drug smuggling and religious extremism.
“In my opinion, Uzbekistan’s negative reaction to construction of the Roghun HPP is premature,” said MEP, “I suggest politicians of this country waiting for the results of assessment studies for the Roghun HPP conducted by the World Bank. As specialist, I am sure of safety of this project. Moreover, I assure that not only Tajikistan but all the countries of the region will benefit from this project.” “Tajikistan, for its part, must guarantee enough outflow of water to neighboring countries.”
“Tajikistan deserves the encouragement of the countries of the European Union in its endeavors to settle the water-and-energy problems in Central Asia,” Mr. Stevenson noted.
He also noted that along with helping tackle economic problems in Central Asia’s nations, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Roghun’s construction may also serve the fight against international terrorism. “Poverty gives rise to terror and creation of new jobs for Afghans, Pakistanis, citizens of the Central Asian countries and settlement of economic problems facing them may stop grist coming to terrorism’s mill and from this point of view, the benefit of Roghun will rise dozen times,” Mr. Stevenson noted.
After meeting with Shukurjon Zuhurov, Mr. Stevenson met with members of the Majlisi Namoyandagon Environmental Commission.
