The Diplomatic Insight _ January 2020

Regional Economic Cooperation
(CAREC), Shanghai Cooperation
Organization (SCO), the Economic
Cooperation Organization, the
Eurasian Economic Community
(EurAsEC), and the Transport
Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia
(TRACECA). Apart from these
important regional organizations,
Out of 6 Corridors of CAREC
program, 5 of the corridors are
transiting through Tajikistan hence
making the goods and services
from South Asia and Central
Asia to connect from Tajikistan
to regions and beyond. Almost
28 projects of CAREC have been
implemented in Tajikistan which is
helping Tajikistan to facilitate the
movement of people, businesses,
and trade across the borders with
great ease and with lesser cost hence
improving the jobs and services
across the regions.
Pakistan and Tajikistan are also
enjoying deep-rooted relations
since inception. As a geographical
neighbor, only a distance of the
thin Wakhan strip, both countries
are juxtaposed in religious and
cultural affinities of the past with
aspiration for the future together.
Pakistan and Tajikistan also signed
30 agreements, protocols and MoUs
to extend cooperation in the fields
of energy, banking and financial,
communications, transport and
constructions of roads, insurance,
air transport, investments and
industry, agricultural and food
industry, science and technology,
health, tourism, education, and
culture based on mutual equality,
and increased the level of trade.
One of the important projects
between Pakistan and Tajikistan is
the Central Asia South Asia-1000
energy project. Apart from Pakistan
and Tajikistan, Afghanistan and
Kyrgyzstan are also part of the
quadrilateral cooperation and
dialogue to execute this historic
project. CASA-1000 involves
building a 1,222-kilometer powertransmission
line to carry some
1,300 megawatts of electricity from
hydropower plants in Kyrgyzstan
and Tajikistan into Afghanistan
(300 MW) and on to Peshawar in
Pakistan (1,000 MW). During the
project, 1,222-kilometer powertransmission
lines will be established
to carry some 1,300 megawatts of
electricity from hydropower plants
in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan into
Afghanistan (300 MW) and on to
Peshawar in Pakistan (1,000 MW).
Former Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif was in Dushanbe during the
launching ceremony of the project
scheduled to be completed in few
years. CASA-1000 may be termed as
a peacebuilding project making the
countries to build each other and
through economic interdependence
develop synergies to deal with the
challenges together.
While Tajikistan is proving as
a gateway for Pakistan and the
other regional countries to reach
Central Asia and beyond, Pakistan
is a connecting point for Tajikistan
and other Central Asian states to
access the shortest route through
Sea port of Gwadar and Karachi
to boost cheaper trade. Tajikistan
is a hub and has a huge resource
of hydropower and electricity with
having the cheapest rates in the
world. Pakistan with having chronic
energy dearth can be resolved in
working with the Tajikistan which
is assuring the supply of electricity
requirements and is willing to
export to the regional countries, of
which Pakistan can get the benefit.
It is significant to note here that
since Tajikistan is the world’s thirdlargest
producer of hydroelectric
power after the US and Russia,
Pakistan is expecting the transfer
of electricity from Tajikistan via
CASA-1000 Project. Keeping in view
the context and background, both
Pakistan and Tajikistan through
their collaborative efforts can build
regional connectivity. Through
coherent efforts, both states can
bring peace and prosperity in the
region and beyond.
8•THE DIPLOMATIC INSIGHT