Wednesday, May 30, 2012 -
Tajikistan and Iran wrapped up their ninth joint economic commission on Tuesday by inking five pacts to expand ties in areas ranging from power to health.
Iran’s Energy Minister Majid Namjou said the meeting quite successfully widened cooperation in transportation, energy transfer, power plant construction, economy, and health.
“Establishment of the intergovernmental commission shows a strong will of the two states towards strengthening of bilateral relations in all spheres,” the Asia-Plus news agency cited Namjou as saying.
The Iranian energy official said the two countries need to hasten implementation of their bilateral commitments.
The two countries and Afghanistan have agreed to establish an inter-regional energy and water corridor.
“National energy networks of the three countries should be connected to a 500-kilowatt power line,” Namjou said.
The project partners are currently evaluating technical aspects of the initiative and number crunching the costs.
The trilateral water and energy corridor project follows on from a tentative agreement signed in April between the three presidents that envisages construction of a road that will link Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, and from there to China.
“If this highway is built, it will be possible to have a pipeline transporting oil and gas from Iran and transporting water from Tajikistan to Iran, Afghanistan, and some countries in the Persian Gulf,” Iran’s state media quoted the Iranian energy minister.