DUSHANBE, December 7, Asia-Plus -- Prime Minister Oqil Oqilov presided over a working meeting with participation of relevant ministries and organizations, as well as heads of Tajik Aluminum Plant (TadAZ), management for construction of Santuda-1 power plant and other officials on December 6. 

The meeting considered issues related to providing the country with electricity and natural gas, according to presidential press service.  Oqilov called the present electricity and gas supplies situation “extraordinary” and demanded that a date of damming the Vakhsh River should be fixed as soon as possible.  He added that the drainage tunnels should be firm and safe.

“After damming the Vakhsh River it is important to ensure normal work of the Norak hydroelectric power station,” the prime minister stressed. 

Oqilov also demanded at the meeting that the issue of delivery of Kyrgyz electricity to Tajikistan through Uzbek territory should be resolved as soon as possible.  He also set the task to provide the public with regular supply of electricity during the New Year and Idi Qurbon holidays.  

Meanwhile, according to Radio Liberty, a Kyrgyz MFA official November 30 accused Uzbekistan of blocking electricity exports to power-stricken Tajikistan. Jyldyz Sarybayeva, the deputy head of the ministry''s international economic relations department, was quoted as saying that Kyrgyzstan is due to export electricity to Tajikistan under an agreement reached earlier this year.  However, she said Tashkent has so far denied Kyrgyzstan permission to deliver the electricity through its territory.  "Under the deal, Kyrgyzstan should have started supplying electricity to Tajikistan on October 1," she said, adding that the deal envisages the export of "about 1 billion kWh of electricity to Tajikistan."