DUSHANBE, June 1, Asia-Plus -- Iran’s Deputy Energy Minister for Water Affairs, Rasoul Zargar, is expected to arrive in Dushanbe on June 2.

According to the Tajik ministry of energy and industries (MoEI), during his stay in Dushanbe, Rasoul Zargar, who is visiting Tajikistan at the head of a high-ranking delegation, is scheduled to hold talks with President Emomali Rahmon and Energy and Industries Minister Sherali Gulov.  

The source at a MoEI said that the main purpose of the visit is for the delegation to study a progress of construction of the Santuda-2 hydropower plant in Tajikistan as well as familiarize itself with projects for construction of small power plants in Tajikistan.

We will recall that during his visit to Iran in early May, President Rahmon called on high-ranking Iranian state officials to expand relations and identified the areas of hydropower, transportation, and industry as Tajikistan’s priorities for attracting greater Iranian investment.     

As it had been reported earlier, Tajik government last September endorsed a long-term program of construction of small hydropower electric plants between 2007 and 2020.  Under the program, 71 small power plants are scheduled to be built by 2020. The total capacity of the plants will be 480.571 million kWh of electricity a year.