TEHRAN (Fars News Agency) – The Iranian energy minister, Majid Namjou (مجید نامجو), arrived in Afghanistan to discuss further expansion of ties and energy cooperation between the two countries. During this visit, Afghanistan inaugurated two Iranian-made electric turbines.

President Hamid Karzai met with the Iranian Energy Minister Majid Namjoo in Kabul to discuss relations between the two countries, Karzai’s office said. Earlier, Namjoo met the Afghan Minister of Energy and Water Mohammad Ismail Khan and inaugurated the installation of two power generators in Kabul city which were gifts from Iran. These diesel turbines with the power generation capacities of 25 MW will only be used in emergency situations. Ismail Khan further revealed that the Iranian government has agreed to increase the level of electricity imported to western Afghanistan from Iran from the current 90 to 140 MW.

Namjou, submitted a message from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to his Afghan counterpart. In his message, Ahmadinejad has stressed the necessity for Iranian companies’ more active participation and partnership in Afghan water and power sectors, and called on Kabul officials to pave the way for these companies’ increased presence and operation in Afghanistan.

Iran is one of the most important donors to Afghanistan which has kept its promises to help to the reconstruction of the war-hit country. It has helped Afghanistan in upgrading its electricity system and half of Herat city’s electricity needs are supplied by the Iran. Iran has built several roads, power transmission lines, and border stations, among the other infrastructure projects.