Tajikistan will continue to supply electricity to Afghanistan

While most cities and regions of Tajikistan are facing electricity shortages, the company “Barki Tojik” has extended its contract for electricity supply to Afghanistan.

Photo: Internet

The Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of Afghanistan reported that on January 10, 2023, the head of “Barki Tojik,” Mahmadumar Asozoda, and the executive director of the Afghan energy company “Breshna” signed a contract for electricity supply to Afghanistan for 2023.

The Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of Afghanistan did not specify where the meeting between the delegations of the energy companies took place. Radio Ozodi notes that the meeting and negotiations were held in Turkey.

It is surprising that in the published photograph from the contract signing ceremony worth tens of millions of dollars, it is evident that the signing took place in the kitchen of a rather modest venue, away from the press.

It was previously reported that the Afghan company “Breshna” also extended its contract for electricity supply from Uzbekistan for the current year. Afghanistan imports electricity from Iran, Turkmenistan, and Pakistan.

The government of Tajikistan, led by Emomali Rahmon, tries to keep all relations with the Taliban hidden from the public. However, the parties had maintained connections even before the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan. After the fall of Ashraf Ghani’s government on August 15, 2021, the authorities of the two countries have gradually developed trade relations.

In the first six months of 2022, nearly 734 million kilowatt-hours of electricity were exported from Tajikistan to Afghanistan. This figure exceeds the corresponding figure in 2021 by 276 million kilowatt-hours. The authorities of Tajikistan supply electricity to Afghanistan, although under current conditions it is unclear when the Taliban will be able to settle their electricity debt. Meanwhile, the population of Tajikistan pays their bills regularly but is left without electricity.

Officially, the government of Emomali Rahmon considers the Taliban a terrorist organization and views any contacts of its citizens with this group as a crime. At the same time, the government itself signs multi-million contracts with their representatives. Today, electricity is supplied uninterruptedly to Afghanistan, even though Tajikistan is experiencing severe frosts.

Although the parties have not yet disclosed the details of this contract, Afghanistan is one of the main importers of Tajik electricity, which is used to meet the needs of at least 9 Afghan provinces. Annually, the volume of Tajik electricity supplied to Afghanistan amounts to 50-55 million dollars.