Tajikistan, Pakistan to boost energy cooperation

Tajikistan and Pakistan discussed an electricity transmission and trade project between Central Asia and South Asia, and other elements of energy cooperation on Monday, the Tajik president's press service said.
Tajik President Emomali Rahmon met with visiting Pakistani Water and Power Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif in Dushanbe, where the two sides also discussed investment projects and the elimination of regional trade barriers.
The CASA 1000 power transmission project extends from Kyrgyzstan to Afghanistan and Pakistan, and is expected to be completed by 2017. The project is designed to develop the necessary physical infrastructure and create the institutional and legal framework to transmit surplus power from existing generation facilities in Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Infrastructure for the project is likely to include a high voltage direct current transmission system between Tajikistan and Pakistan through Afghanistan, and a transmission link from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to connect to the high voltage line from Tajikistan to South Asia.
It could also involve setting up electricity sub-stations in Kabul, Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar, and Tajikistan's Sangtuda city.
Tajikistan and Pakistan have set up a joint commission for energy cooperation. A number of important bilateral cooperation agreements are expected to be signed when Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visits Tajikistan in September.