Tajikistan Reacts To Uzbek Decision To Quit Power Grid
The
Tajik Foreign Ministry says Uzbekistan's decision to quit the Central Asian power
grid is politically motivated, RFE/RL's Tajik Service reports.
Foreign
Ministry official Khusrav Ghoibov told RFE/RL that the ministry will not officially
react to the decision by Tashkent.
He added that while it
is understandable for a country to make decisions in its national interests, international
law also requires a country to respect the interests of other countries.
On
November 24, Uzbek Ambassador to Tajikistan Shoqosim Shoislomov said in Dushanbe
that Uzbekistan will end its participation in the Soviet-era electric power grid
as of December 1.
He said Uzbekistan has built a new power
distribution system that can provide all of its regions with electricity and does
not need the outdated electricity grid.
Homidjon Orifov, the
head of Tajikistan's National Committee for Dams, said Uzbekistan's move is most
likely connected to the Tajik-Uzbek standoff regarding the construction of a new
hydropower station near the Tajik city of Roghun.
He said
that by quitting the joint grid Uzbekistan shows its opposition to the hydropower
station and added that Uzbekistan is also trying to hinder the delivery to Tajikistan
of 1 billion kilowatt hours of electricity from Turkmenistan.
