Trade and economic exchanges between Iran and Tajikistan have registered a 300% growth in the first 11 months of 2022 compared to the same period of a year ago, Iran’s energy minister said at the 15th Iran-Tajikistan Economic Cooperation Commission held in Tehran on Monday.
Ali Akbar Mehrabian added that bilateral trade and economic exchanges would be further expanded in future, IRNA quoted him as saying.
“Iran and Tajikistan are seeking to reach $500 million of trade within the next two years,” he said.
Mehrabian noted that delegations from the two countries would attend the intergovernmental commission in Tehran to discuss increasing cooperation on energy and cultural issues.
“Tajikistan has a series of important hydroelectric projects to which the Iranian companies can contribute,” he said.
Tajikistan produces nearly 6.5 gigawatts from hydroelectric power plants and plans to increase its electricity generation capacity to 10 GW.
Building hydroelectric power plants seems to be the economically viable in Tajikistan due to its abundant water resources and geographical position.
Mehrabian said he has urged Tajik authorities to make use of Iranian firms to develop the Rogun hydropower project.
Tajik Minister of Energy and Water Resources Daler Juma pointed to the constructive cooperation between the two countries and said this should be continued within the framework of organizing exhibitions and investing in different industrial sectors.
“Relations between the two countries have not been confined to the economic sector, rather Iran and Tajikistan have taken giant strides in cultural and historical fields, based on which 17 cooperation documents have been signed in this regard,” he said.
Commenting on the potentials of the power sector of both countries, he said, “We can provide electricity to Central Asia and South Asia with the cooperation of Iran and the existing capacity in Tajikistan.”
The joint commission for trade and economic cooperation is underway in Tehran from December 5-6.
The expansion of cooperation between the two countries in different fields, including trade, finance, energy, transportation, industry, technical and engineering services, health, investment and tourism will be on the agenda of the commission’s session.
The previous 14th session of the joint commission was held six months ago in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe.
