The tendering process for Casa-1000MW would be completed in the next five months and the project would connect the region. PHOTO: AFP
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is likely to attend an international conference on water-related issues in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, which will be held from June 9 to 11.
Tajikistan Ambassador Sherali S Jononov briefed the media about the high-level gathering dubbed the international conference on the implementation of “Water for Life 2005-2015”.
While discussing Pakistan-Tajikistan relations, the ambassador briefed about Casa-1000, a major power import project the two countries are working on – expected to be completed in 2018.
“We will be supplying clean and cheaper energy to Pakistan through this project,” he said. He said that the tendering process would be completed in the next five months and the project would connect the region. “The Casa-1000 power import project was a dream five years ago but it has become a reality now.”
He also appreciated the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and said it would provide the cheapest route for transportation of goods to Central Asian states. “We are pleased that the government is developing new roads which would also create jobs and change the region for the better,” he added. “We will also sign a transit trade agreement soon with Pakistan and Afghanistan to enhance trade with the two countries,” he said, adding trade between Pakistan and Tajikistan stood at $100 million last year and the trade balance was in favour of Pakistan.
He said both countries had pledged to enhance trade volumes to half a billion dollars in the next five years.
He said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had been invited to participate in the conference and hoped he would attend it to achieve sustainable development of water resources.
He called upon member countries, United Nations (UN) system institutions, including the UN-Water and other organisations to comprehensively evaluate the progress achieved in the implementation of the international decade ‘Water for life 2005-2015’and continue taking steps for achieving internationally agreed water-related goals.
The main goal of the decade was to promote efforts to fulfill international commitments made on water and water-related issues by the year 2015. These commitments also included the development goals contained in the United Nations Millennium Declaration, particularly to halve the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.
The primary goal of the conference is a comprehensive discussion which will later play a crucial role in conducting comprehensive review of the implementation of the International Decade with bringing its results to the attention of the wider international community.
He said that UN General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon would also take part and deliver his speech. Sherali said that during the conference, progress on the objectives achieved would also be discussed and measures would be suggested to implement the objectives which had not been achieved.
He further said that as many as 17 Pakistani companies had expressed keen interest to attend the conference which was taking place for better water management. “It will be message by the world community to manage water, otherwise, it will be too late,” he said adding that all resolutions had been adopted with the support of Pakistan. “Pakistan has been supporting us on water issues in the UN,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 22nd, 2015.
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