Tajikistan and the Taliban signed a trade agreement

From July to December of this year, Tajikistan supplied electricity to Afghanistan without concluding agreements with the Taliban government.

Photo: Internet

As reported by the press service of Afghanistan’s energy company “Breshna Shirkat,” the company has signed an agreement with the holding “Barki Tojik” for the supply of electricity from Tajikistan to Afghanistan.

It is reported that during an official visit to Tajikistan, the General Director of “Breshna Shirkat” (DABS) Hafiz Mohammad Amin and his accompanying delegation signed a contract for the import of electricity with “Barki Tojik” for 2022.

“This agreement was signed as a result of two days of negotiations between the two sides, and an agreement for the supply of electricity from July to December 2021 was also signed, which was suspended due to political events in Afghanistan,” the statement said.

It is also reported that during the two-day negotiations, the parties discussed regional projects such as CASA-1000 and the construction of a 500 kW line. The Afghan delegation emphasized the importance of cooperation with Tajikistan and assured that the security and defense forces of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan are ready to ensure the safety of suspended projects.

In turn, the press service of “Barki Tojik” has not officially reported on the conclusion of a new agreement with Afghanistan on its official website.

Relations between Tajikistan and Afghanistan have deteriorated after the government of Ashraf Ghani fell and the Taliban came to power. Emomali Rahmon and senior officials of the country have repeatedly stated that they do not recognize the Taliban government until an inclusive government is formed. However, the official visit of the Taliban government delegation to Tajikistan and the conclusion of new trade agreements between the two countries cast doubt on all of Rahmon’s previous statements.

Tajikistan exports electricity to neighboring countries such as Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan, while nearly 80% of the country’s population suffers from power outages during the winter period. This year, the government has again imposed a limit on electricity consumption. Electricity is supplied for an average of 7 hours a day, while the remaining 17-18 hours the population is forced to live in darkness and cold.