DUSHANBE, October 1, 2012, Asia-Plus — In a statement delivered at the General Debate of the 67th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, Tajik Foreign minister Hamrokhon Zarifi noted on September 29 that because of the lack of other sources of energy, it is vitally important for Tajikistan, which has an enormous hydro-energy potential, to develop hydropower in a planned and integrated manner.
“According to international treaties, Tajikistan has a perfect right to use its natural resources, including hydro-power, for the benefit of its people. At the same time we declare with full responsibility from this lofty rostrum, that the Republic of Tajikistan, while developing its hydropower potential, has no intention to pursue exclusively its own interests at the expense of anyone else,” said Tajik minister. “On contrary, it is in this context one should regard the active cooperation of Tajikistan with the World Bank on developing technical and economic, social and ecological assessment of the Roghun hydropower station, a project that is vitally important for my country.”
“At the same time we expect that during the implementation of the assessment, the parties concerned in the region will abstain from hasty and not thoroughly thought out statements and actions that can run counter to existing international agreements and the spirit of friendship, cooperation and good neighborhood.”
Zarifi noted that Tajikistan attaches significant importance to the interests of the landlocked developing countries, which are vulnerable due to their geographical location. “It stands to reason, that the geographic isolation of Tajikistan and lack of access to the sea constitute a serious obstacle on the way to its sustainable development. There is no doubt, that a reliable and unimpeded operation of transportation and communication arteries that connect Tajikistan via the neighboring countries to the outer world is becoming vitally important under the circumstances.”
“In this regard, we call for the elimination of all artificial and economically unsubstantiated barriers and obstacles in the transportation and communication connections among the countries of the region that do not contribute to development and strengthening of the regional cooperation and partnership. We express our hope that the relevant UN missions in the region will pay due attention to this issue.”
Meanwhile, in his speech to the UN General Assembly, Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov noted on September 28 that all issues related to the water-and-energy problem of Central Asia must be considered in accordance with generally recognized norms of international law mentioned in the UN convention protecting water resources of March 17, 1992 and the UN convention on the law of the non-navigable use of international watercourses of May 21, 1997.
“These documents require observance of principles of not damaging the environment and interests of neighboring countries while using resources of trans-boundary rivers,” the Uzbek foreign minister said.
