Dushanbe Urged to Clear Power Plant Debt

Clearing debts to Iranian contractors of Sangtoudeh 2 dam and power plant by Tajikistan can pave the way for further expansion of power cooperation with the neighboring state. Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian made the statement in a meeting with his Tajik counterpart Osman Ali Osmanzadeh in Tehran, IRNA reported on Sunday. Tajikistan signed a contract with a consortium of Iranian companies in 2005 to build the Sangtoudeh 2 hydroelectric dam on the Vakhsh River in north-central Tajikistan, which went on stream in 2013. Based on the agreement, revenue earned by power generation during the first 12 years would be paid to Iran, after which ownership will be transferred to Tajikistan. Chitchian hoped that Iran-Tajikistan Economic Commission can be held in the near future to settle the disputes over the issue. Mirza Esmaeilzadeh, the head of Tajikistan's Power Generation and Distribution Company, said last week Dushanbe would pay off the $62 million debt "based on a timetable agreed in talks between the two sides".