Sep 12, 2007 - BBC Monitoring

The World Bank (WB) has allocated 3m dollars [to Tajikistan] to draw up a feasibility study for a project to construct the Sangtuda [Tajikistan]-Sherkhan Bandar [northern Afghanistan] high-voltage power transmission line, Avesta news agency has been told at the Tajik Ministry of Energy and Industry.

[Passage omitted: a total of 109m dollars are needed to construct the power transmission line]

In February this year, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Tajik Finance Ministry signed a credit agreement on [allocating] 21.5m dollars [to Tajikistan] to implement a regional project on electricity supplies from Tajikistan to Afghanistan.

"Part of the funds allocated by the ADB will be spent on the construction of the 220 kV high-voltage power transmission line, which will link hydroelectric power stations on the River Vakhsh with the Afghan border town of Sherkhan Bandar, as well as the Afghan towns of Konduz, Baglad, Pol-e Khomri and Kabul," the ministry stressed.

[Passage omitted: covered details of contributions from other organizations to fund the project]

Source: Avesta website, Dushanbe, in Russian 0749 gmt 12 Sep 07

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