Tajikistan believes that the European Union (EU) will encourage energy projects that are being implemented in the country and throughout Central Asia to mitigate climate change. That’s the view held by Sirojiddin Mukhriddin, the head of Tajikistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed during a speech at the diplomatic forum “New Dynamics of Cooperation in Eurasia” in Antalya, Turkey.
“Just five percent of the nation’s current hydropower potential has been utilized up to this point. Our projects are wonderful. Among them is the Rogun HPP, one of the world’s biggest hydroelectric power stations. Of course, we also invited all of our partners to help us build these initiatives, [and] the European Union is one of them,” said Mukhriddin. The minister mentioned that the United States and the EU are funding the construction of a hydroelectric power plant in the republic’s mountainous Badakhshan autonomous region. Mukhriddin claimed that this would contribute to the energy supply for both this area and Afghanistan, a neighboring country with its own pressing electricity needs.
Mukhriddin mentioned the Sustainable Energy Connections in Central Asia project, which is being managed by the EU. “We believe that the program will fortify the institutional, legal, and regulatory framework for the region’s shift to a sustainable energy system,” the minister said. “With the help of our partners, especially the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and others, we anticipate that this project will be implemented successfully,” he added.
