Tajikistan eyes stronger ties with Iran

by PRESS TV

In a meeting with visiting Iranian Energy Minister, Parviz Fattah in Dushanbe on Saturday, Rakhmon stressed the importance of speeding up the work on the 220-MW Sangtoudeh 2 Power Plant, which is being built by Iran in southern Tajikistan.

He reiterated his country's support for Iran's right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and expressed hope that all outstanding issues over the country's nuclear case would be settled through cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

He said Tajikistan would strongly support Iran's membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) during the organizations next meeting to be held in Dushanbe in 2008.

Fattah, for his part, referred to Iran's experience in energy projects and the construction of dams and roads and voiced Tehran's readiness to share its experience with Tajikistan.

Given power shortages Tajikistan is currently facing, Iranian experts and engineers are working on a plan to speed up the construction of the Sangtoudeh 2 Power Plant, Fattah said.

The two officials also discussed the construction of the Chahar-Maqzak and Anzab tunnels in Tajikistan and agreed that the issue should be followed up by the two countries' joint economic commission.