Tajikistan prolongs contract to supply electricity to Afghanistan through 2024

KABUL. Dec 27 (Interfax) - Tajikistan's national energy company Barqi Tojik will continue supplying electricity to Afghanistan in 2024, and an agreement was signed on Wednesday, Afghanistan's national electricity company Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) said.

"The document was signed by Chairman of Barqi Tojik, Mahmadumar Asozoda, and the CEO of DABS, Mula Muhammad Hanif Hamza, at a meeting in Turkey," the statement said.

"The parties discussed the possibility of extending a new 500 kW power transmission line from Tajikistan to Afghanistan. Tajikistan is interested in extending the power line. In addition, the management of DABS has asked Tajikistan for cooperation in the resumption, coordination and implementation of the Casa-1000 project," the press center of the Afghan company said on social media.

The Tajik side has not yet commented the statement.

In early December, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, at a meeting with President of the World Bank Group, Ajay Banga, said it was necessary to resume the regional Casa-1000 power line project connecting the energy market of Central and South Asia through Afghanistan.

Casa-1000 is a renewable energy generation project that will transfer 1,300 MW of surplus electricity from Central Asia to high-demand electricity markets in South Asia.

A common transmission system connecting the four countries would allow Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to sell clean hydroelectricity to Afghanistan and Pakistan in the summer.