DUSHANBE, September 2, 2014, Asia-Plus — The 10th meeting of the Tajik-Iranian commission for trade and economic cooperation is taking place in Dushanbe.
An official source at the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan (MoEWR) says the sides are discussing issues related to investment in Tajikistan’s economy, development of a two-way trade and financial cooperation.
Completion of the Istiqlol Tunnel in Tajikistan and introducing the second unit of the Sangtuda-2 hydroelectric power plant (HPP) into operation are also among major topics of the meeting.
The sides are also discussing bilateral cooperation between their countries in the field of geology and construction of roads in Tajikistan.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is expected to pay an official visit to Tajikistan from September 12-13.
According to Iran’s Fars News Agency (FNA), the upcoming visit of President Hassan Rouhani to Tajikistan will give further impetus to bilateral ties in all spheres. FNA quoted Interim Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran Seyed Mahmoud Sadri as saying that “a sum of 10 cooperation pacts, mainly in economic areas, will be signed by the two countries” senior officials during President Rouhani”s upcoming visit to Dushanbe.”
The second and last unit of the Sangtuda-2 HPP on the Vakhsh River in Tajikistan is expected to be unveiled in the presence of the presidents of the two countries.
We will recall that the first unit of the plant was introduced into operation on September 5, 2011. Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attended a joint ceremony to unveil the Sangtuda-2 dam and power plant.
Construction of Sangtuda-2, a 220-megawatt plant on the Vakhsh River, officially commenced in February 2006. It is located some 120 kilometers southeast of Dushanbe.
Iran, which has put some 180 million U.S. dollars into the construction of the hydropower station, will operate it for the next 12 years and then transfer control to Tajikistan, whose contribution to the construction costs amounted to around 40 million U.S. dollars.
The power plant is expected to help alleviate power shortages in Tajikistan during autumn-winter period.
