Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Pakistan inaugurated CASA-1000 project

The $1.7 billion CASA-1000 project was inaugurated among Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan in Dushanbe on May 12.

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and Kyrgyz Prime Minister Sooronbai Jeenbekov attended the inauguration.

RFERL reports that the CASA-1000 provides a 1,222-kilometer power-transmission line to carry 1,300 megawatts of electricity from hydropower plants in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan into Afghanistan (300 MW) and on to Peshawar in Pakistan (1,000 MW). It is accepted as one of the most important energy projects among these countries is scheduled to be completed by 2018.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan said last month that the World Bank, United States, United Kingdom, European Investment Bank and Islamic Development Bank have committed to support the project. Afghanistan will have an income of $45 million from the project, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, KHAAMA agency reports.