Tuesday, May 01, 2012 -
Azerbaijan will construct a hydropower plant in the mountainous Central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan, according to a senior Azerbaijani official Monday.
The project will be undertaken by Azerbaijani state-run energy corporation Azerenergy.
Azerbaijan’s First Deputy Prime Minister Yaqub Eyyubov broke the news at a press conference at the end of a meeting between delegations of the two countries.
He said the chairman of Azerenergy is participating in negotiations between the two sides as part of their Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic and Humanitarian Cooperation.
“The construction of a hydropower plant is being studied. We see great opportunities in Kyrgyzstan,” a Kyrgyz government press report reported Eyyubov as saying.
“The main thing in this matter is to be able to sell electricity to those in need," he said, adding that if viable markets were located, Azerenergy would definitely go ahead with construction of the hydroelectric power station.
The two sides signed a protocol on cooperation at their Monday meeting.
Kyrgyzstan is one of Central Asia's two smallest economies, along with Tajikistan, but is under the leadership of a strongly pro-business government.