DUSHANBE, December 6, Asia-Plus  -- A joint board meeting of Tajikistan’s Agency for State Financial Control and Combating Corruption and Russia’s Chamber of Accounts that was held in Dushanbe Thursday ended with signing of an agreement on cooperation and interaction. 

Sherkhon Salimov, Director Chairman Tajikistan’s Agency for State Financial Control and Combating Corruption, and Sergey Stepashin, Chairman of Russia’s Chamber of Accounts, who co-chaired the joint board meeting inked the document.   

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, they said that the meeting had discussed the results of parallel inspections of a progress of implementation of a government-to-government agreement on procedure and terms of shared participation of Russia in construction of the Sangtuda-1 hydroelectric power station (HPS). 

 Stepashin noted that revealed cement shortages had nearly hampered an early launch of the first unit of the Sangtuda-1 station scheduled for December 21.  “However, the problem was resolved opportunely due to efforts of both sides, and those guilty, both from the Tajik and Russian side, were removed; competent authorities are holding an inquiry into the matter,” Stepashin said, stressing once again that funds provided for construction of the Sangtuda-1 power plant are being used effectively.  

We will recall that closed joint stock-company (CJSC) InterRAO YeES, subsidiary of Russia’s Unified Energy Systems (RAO YeES), assumes 75 percent ownership in the Sangtuda-1 hydroelectricity project and Tajikistan owns 25 percent of shares.