DUSHANBE: The leaders of Pakistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan on Thursday jointly launched the Central Asia South Asia (CASA-1000) electricity project, calling it win-win and mutually rewarding for all stakeholder states and for prosperity of their people.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Afghan Chief Executive Dr Abdullah Abdullah and Kyrgyz Prime Minister Jeenbekov Sooranbai formally performed the launch at the Tursunzade city, some 47 kilometres from Dushanbe, the capital.
Under CASA-1000, Pakistan will be able to obtain 1,000 megawatts of electricity generated by Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan via Afghanistan, which will also get 300 megawatts of the total 1,300 megawatts. The transmission line originates from Kyrgyzstan with substation at Datka to Tajikistan’s four substations including Sughda, Dushanbe, Regar and Sangtuda and then passing through Afghanistan to Pakistan with a converter station at Nowshera.
– Implementation phase –
In their speeches, the four leaders agreed on the early materialisation of the project on priority, which they said would prove an important milestone of regional integration between Central and South Asia. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed satisfaction over entering the implementation phase of the CASA-1000 after many years of its conception and said the project demonstrated landmark cooperation among Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan.
He termed it an important step towards realisation of the planned Central Asia-South Asia Regional Electricity Market (CASAREM). He said that the project would be a win-win for all four countries for achieving a number of economic, social and environmental benefits besides reduction of energy deficit, creation of jobs and improvement in trade.
Prime Minister Nawaz said that connectivity, be it air or rail links, was the key to regional integration, economic and trade development and people-to-people contacts. He welcomed the initiation of Tajikistan’s Somon Air flights between Dushanbe and Lahore from May 6, which he said would not only facilitate travel between two countries but would also enhance economic relations and tourism.
“I am confident that the day is not far when South Asia will completely integrate with the Central Asia through energy and trade corridors, spurring economic and social development and bring prosperity to the region,” he said. Nawaz mentioned the support by the World Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, USAID, the UK Department of International Development (DFID) and Australian Agency for International Development in implementation of the project.
