CASA-1000 project launched with vision of enhanced S.Asia, Central Asia integration

Dushanbe : The leaders of Pakistan,Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan Thursday jointly launched the Central Asia South Asia (CASA-1000) electricity project, terming it “win-win and mutually rewarding” for all stakeholder states and beneficial for the prosperity of their peoples.

Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon, Afghanistan’s Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and Kyrgyzstan’s Prime Minister Jeenbekov Sooranbai performed the formal launch by tightening bolts of the grand power transmission tower,installed at the Tursunzade city, some 47 kilometres from capital Dushanbe.

Under CASA-1000, Pakistan will be able to obtain 1,000 MW of electricity, generated by Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan via Afghanistan,which will also get 300 MW of the total 1,300 MW.

The transmission line originates from Kyrgyzstan with substation at Datka to Tajikistan’s four substations including Sughda, Dushanbe, Regar and Sangtuda and then pass through Afghanistan to Pakistan with a converter station at Nowshera.

The four leaders in their speeches at the event agreed on early materialization of the project on priority, which they said was an important milestone of regional integration between Central Asia and South Asia.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed satisfaction on entering the implementation phase of the CASA-1000 after several years of its conception and said the project demonstrated landmark cooperation
among Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan.He termed it an important step towards realization of the planned Central Asia South Asia Regional Electricity Market (CASAREM).

He said the project would be a win-win for all four countries for achieving a number of economic, social and environmental benefits besides reduction of energy deficit, creation of jobs and improvement in trade.
Nawaz Sharif said the connectivity, be it the air or rail links, was the key to regional integration, economic and trade development and people-to-people contacts.He welcomed initiation of Tajikistan’s Somon Air flights between Dushanbe and Lahore from May 6, which, he said would not only facilitate travel between two countries but would also enhance economic relations and tourism.
“I am confident that the day is not far when South Asia will completely integrate with Central Asia through energy and trade corridors, spurring economic and social development and bring prosperity to the region,” he said.

Nawaz Sharif mentioned the support by World Bank, Islamic Development Bank, USAID, the UK Department of International Development (DFID) and Australian Agency for International
Development in implementation of the project.

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon welcomed the leaders from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan and expressed the confidence that the broad energy cooperation would not only address the social, economic and environmental challenges but also improve people’s living standard. He mentioned that Tajikistan had surplus hydel electricity generation in summers with only five percent being used at the present. He said his country wanted the South Asian states to also benefit from this power potential.

“The CASA-1000 is a symbol of revival of our historic ties as we are laying a new model of partnership between our states,” the Tajik president said.
Afghanistan’s Abdullah Abdullah said the moment of CASA-1000’s launch was a milestone as the four countries had come together after 10 years and added that Afghanistan would be happy to play the role of a bridge in materializing this project. He said the project conveyed a message to the world that
a region suffering with challenges like terrorism, was sincere to pursue a constructive economic agenda.

The Kyrgyz Prime Minister said the project was significant a source of affordable and clean energy and hoped that it would result in economic development of the region.