TEHRAN (Mehr News Agency) – Iran is in talks with Tajikistan to import as much as one billion cubic meters of potable water, Iranian Energy Minister M. Namjou said on Sunday.

The volume to be imported has not been yet finalized, but it is anticipated that 1 billion m³ of water will be imported, Namjou added. He made the remarks on the sidelines of the 9th meeting of the Iran-Tajikistan Joint Economic Commission, which opened in Tehran on Sunday. The Iranian energy minister also stated that Iran, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan have agreed to create a joint water and electricity corridor.

To connect the national electricity grids of the three countries, a 500KV transmission line should be established, he said, adding that the exact amount of investment needed and related technical considerations are being studied.

In April, the Iranian ambassador to Tajikistan, A.-A. Sherdoost, said that during Iranian President Ahmadinejad’s recent trip of to Tajikistan, the presidents of Iran, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan signed a memorandum of understanding authorizing the construction of a highway from Iran to Afghanistan and Tajikistan and from there to China.

“If this highway is built, it will be possible to have a pipeline transporting oil and gas from Iran and transporting water from Tajikistan to Iran, Afghanistan, and some countries in the Persian Gulf. We also discussed the construction of a petroleum refinery, which is in need here in Tajikistan, and for which Iran has the technology”, he added.

Trade between Iran and Tajikistan exceeded $500 million during Iranian calendar year 2011.