Pakistan to import electric power from Tajikistan

Pakistan intends to import up to two billion kilowatt-hours of electric power from Tajikistan, Pakistani Finance Minister Aziz Shaukat and Tajik Trade and Economy Minister Khakim Soliyev said at a joint press conference summing the session of the joint Pakistani-Tajik Economic Commission.

The ministers noted that Pakistan and Tajikistan had outlined the priority areas of co-operation. In particular, Islamabad agreed to the construction of an electricity transmission line with the power of 500-750 kilowatt from Pamir (a mountainous area of Tajikistan) to the northern Pakistani district of Chitral. Under discussion were also reconstruction projects of the Rogunskaya hydropower station of Tajikistan, which was hit by the civil war.

The sides also agreed to open a branch of the National Bank of Pakistan in Dushanbe. Bilateral co-operation will also develop in insurance, agriculture, information technologies, extracting sectors, pharmaceuticals, education, culture and tourism.

Islamabad offered its help in constructing new cement plants in Tajikistan. The latter, in turn, hopes to get loans from Pakistan to the tune of $500 million to increase Tajikistan's export, mostly of cotton.

The session considered ways of avoiding double taxation, creating joint enterprises and also facilitating the visa regime.

According to News, a series of agreements and contracts will be signed next week during the visit of Tajik President Emomali Rakhmonov to Pakistan.

The visit has been scheduled for May 12.