A delegation from the Afghan energy company Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) has participated in the latest meeting of joint working groups of the countries involved in the regional CASA-1000 electricity transmission project, along with development partners. The meeting kicked off at the National Library of Tajikistan in Dushanbe on May 13, says the press center of the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan (MoEWR).
According to the MoEWR press center, the Afghan delegation is headed by the DABS director, Abdulbari Umar.
At the opening of the meeting, Deputy Minister of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan, Manouchehr Safarzoda, delivered a speech emphasizing the strategic importance of the CASA-1000 project for the participating countries.
“This important regional project not only contributes to the development of the energy systems of the Central and South Asian countries but also serves as a key foundation for economic and political cooperation in the region,” Safarzoda noted.
During the two-day meeting (May 13–14), preparations for the session of the Intergovernmental Council of the regional electricity transmission project CASA-1000 were reportedly discussed.
The next session of the Intergovernmental Council of the CASA-1000 regional electricity transmission project is taking place today.
Additionally, as part of this event, guests are expected to visit the 1300 MW converter substation in the Sangtuda area of Kushoniyon District and the Nurek Hydropower Plant, the WoEWR press center added.
Meanwhile, Ariana News reports that in addition to representatives from Afghanistan and Tajikistan, delegations from Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, the Islamic Development Bank, and other international institutions are participating in the events.
The Central Asia–South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Project (CASA-1000) aims to export surplus hydroelectric power from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to Afghanistan and Pakistan. The project is valued at $1.16 billion. As part of the initiative, 1,387 kilometers of transmission lines and two converter substations will be built.
According to Tajikistan’s Ministry of Energy, all project-related work in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan has been completed, and the project implementation in Pakistan is expected to be finished by the end of this year.
Earlier reports stated that Afghanistan is awaiting $100 million in funding from the World Bank under the CASA-1000 project to resume construction of power transmission lines on its territory. Project implementation in Afghanistan was suspended following the Taliban's rise to power in August 2021.
Although Tajikistan's government is the only Central Asian government that has not improved relations with the Taliban, economic interests play their role. Tajikistan exports electricity to Afghanistan and has reopened five marketplaces in border towns where goods are traded on both sides.
