Iran builds up economic presence in Tajikistan

USHANBE, February 10 (Itar-Tass) - Iran plans to build three hydro
power plants (HPP) with an overall capacity of 870 MW on inland rivers in Tajikistan, which experiences chronic shortages of electric power, Iran's Ambassador to Tajikistan, Ali Asghar Sherdoust told a news conference for local media on Thursday.
According to the ambassador, the construction of one of such HPPs may begin on the Zaravshan River, in northern Tajikistan, in early 2012.
"Our country's participation in the construction of two HPPs in
eastern Tajikistan is also considered," he said.
Iran also plans to build a cement mill in southern Tajikistan with annual production capacity of one million tonnes. About 500 million dollars will be invested in this project.
Iran actively builds up its economic presence in Tajikistan. It
provides financial and technical support for the construction of the
220-megawatt Sangtudin Hydro-2 on the Vakhsh River, two transport tunnels and other facilities.
The bilateral trade turnover is also growing. Last year it climbed by more than a half against 2009 to total 200 million dollars.