Baku, Azerbaijan, April 25
By Fikret Dolukhanov – Trend:
Solving the issue of the Farhad hydropower plant between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan is an important strategic step, Tajik media reported on April 25, citing Speaker of the lower chamber of the Tajik parliament Shukurjon Zuhurov.
Addressing today the members of parliament, he said that by signing the agreement on cooperation on ensuring the functioning of the Farhad hydropower plant’s dam at Dushanbe on March 9, the presidents of the two states put an end to one of the most urgent problems in the relations between Dushanbe and Tashkent.
“This facility is still an important strategic object for both Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The reservoir of the Farhad hydropower plant irrigates more than 45,000 hectares of land in northern Tajikistan and over 330,000 hectares in Uzbekistan,” Zukhurov said.
Speaking on this issue, First Deputy Minister of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan Sulton Rahimzoda said that in line with the above-mentioned agreement, the maintenance and financing of the Farhad hydropower plant will be carried out by Uzbekistan, and the protection of the facility by Tajikistan.
The members of parliament unanimously ratified the abovementioned agreement.
The agreement was signed by the leaders of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan for a period of 49 years on March 9.
After almost 20 years of dispute over the dam of Farhad hydropower plant, Dushanbe and Tashkent came to a compromise: the object is recognized as property of Uzbekistan, the land on which it stands belongs to Tajikistan.
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