MOSCOW, NOV 06 (DNA) – Pakistan is ready to support Russia’s connection to the regional project for the supply of electricity from Central Asia to South Asia (CASA-1000).

The government of Pakistan supports Russia’s involvement in the regional construction project of the CASA-1000 transmission line in case of the consent of other interested parties, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said at a meeting with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev, in China.

The meeting of the heads of government of the two countries was held as part of the opening of the first Chinese International Exhibition of Imported Goods in Shanghai.

According to Russian media Prime Minister noted that the CASA-1000 project provides for the creation of a power transmission system from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Russia first announced its intention to participate in this project back in August 2010: Russia’s interest was voiced by the then President Dmitry Medvedev during the four-party summit of the heads of state of Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Russia held in Sochi.

A year ago, the Minister of water resources of Afghanistan Ali Ahmad Osmoni on the sidelines of the international exhibition EXPO-2017 in Astana told reporters that the Afghan authorities have received an appeal from the Russian side to join the CASA-1000 project.

“We received a request from the Russian side to participate in the implementation of CASA-1000. Russia intends to participate in the export of electricity to South Asia, as in Tajikistan, Russia has at its disposal Sangtuda HPP-1”, – said the Afghan Minister.

The CASA-1000 project involves the supply of electricity from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is expected that 70% of the electricity that will be supplied by it to Afghanistan and Pakistan will be from Tajikistan, 30% from Kyrgyzstan.

Although the official launch of the CASA-1000 infrastructure was announced in may 2016, the direct work due to the delay in the selection of contractors lasted for two years.

For implementation of the project will be required to construct transmission line 500 kV from the substation “Datka” to Khudjand, the Converter substation throughput of 1300 MW at Sangtuda, high voltage DC transmission line from Sangtuda to Kabul and Peshawar, the Converter substation the capacity of 300 mW in Kabul (resulting in the import and export of electricity), the Converter substation the capacity of 1 300 mW in Peshawar and other objects.

The total cost of the project is more than $1 billion. Funds for the construction of infrastructure in Tajikistan, according to the latest data of Barki Tojik, will amount to $351 million.

Investors in Tajikistan are international financial institutions – the world Bank (WB), the European Bank, the European Bank for reconstruction and development (EBRD), the Islamic development Bank (IDB), the UK government and others.

In particular, the world Bank will allocate $ 45 million ,IDB $ 70 million, EBRD $110 million for the implementation of the Tajik section of the project.=DNA

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