Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 7
By Fatih Karimov – Trend
Tajikistan is not able to pay off debts to Iranian contactors due to technical problems, Hamid Chitchian, Iran’s energy minister, said, IRNA news agency reported Nov. 7.
The country’s electricity grid has been disconnected from neighbouring countries, so Tajikistan is facing problems to export electricity and pay the debts to Iranian contractors, which constructed a power plant in Tajikistan, Chitchian added.
The Iranian minister did not unveil the amount of the delayed debts.
Chitchian expressed hope that the two sides settle the problem via negotiations in the near future, adding that paying off the debts of Iranian firms will prepare ground for more cooperation between Iranian and Tajik companies.
Tehran is interested to boost cooperation with Tajikistan, Chitchian said.
He added that the Islamic Republic has implemented major projects in the Central Asian country including Sangtuda 2 hydroelectric power plant and the Anzob Tunnel.
Earlier in May 2016, Sattar Mahmoudi, the deputy energy minister of Iran said that Tajikistan should have paid $1 million per month for purchasing electricity from Sangtuda 2 hydroelectric power plant, constructed by an Iranian private company (Farab Co.) in this country, but during the last four years, Dushanbe has paid only $34 million to Iran.
Mahmoudi added that the power plant has faced financial problems due to payment delays and has stopped working several times.