Speaking on the national day celebrations of Tajikistan here on Friday, the Tajik envoy said that Pakistan would receive electricity at very economical rates once the project gets completed. He said that this project would further strengthen and improve bilateral economic ties between Pakistan and Tajikistan.

CASA 1000 project will transmit 1000 MW of surplus electricity from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to Pakistan with power transit through Afghanistan. The total length of transmission line is 750 km while the project is planned to be on Public-Private Partnership basis with the support of WB, IFC, ADB and IDB. The project cost is estimated to be around US$ 865 million.

Zubaydov said that the protocol signed at Dushanbe during the 4^th Pak-Tajik JMC has provided vast opportunities for bilateral cooperation in various fields including agriculture, education, trade, energy, health, sports, tourism, industry, investment, banking, transport, communications, culture and combating drugs.

While showing his satisfaction over the outcome of the recent visit of a 108-member trade delegation led by Chief Executive of TDAP, Tariq Puri from Pakistan to Dushanbe, Zubaydov said that establishing road and air links between the two countries would give a breakthrough to bilateral trade between the two countries. He announced to provide all necessary assistance to the businessmen. “The Tajik embassy is available to the Pakistani businessmen 24 hours to help them in their efforts for trade,” Zubaydov said.

Speaking at the occasion, TDAP’s Chief Executive, Tariq Puri hoped that the outcome of a strong delegation visit to Tajikistan would be fruitful as Pakistan’s communications minister’s visit to Dushanbe is one step forward to establishing road link between Pakistan and Tajikistan via Afghanistan.

The Honorary Consul General of Tajikistan in Karachi, Irshad A. Kassim said in his welcome address that efforts to enhance bilateral trade between the two brotherly countries are going on from both private and public sector. He said that banking channel has already been established between the two countries and traders can now open letter of credit.

He hoped that road link to Dushanbe via Wakhan (Afghanistan) would give a real boost to bilateral trade between the two countries. Vice President FPCCI, Usman Shaikh also spoke at the occasion.