DUSHANBE, July 14, 2009 Asia-Plus  -- A quadripartite meeting of the presidents of Tajikistan, Russia, Afghanistan and Pakistan is expected to take place in Dushanbe at the end of July, Davlat Nazriyev, a spokesman for the Tajik MFA, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.

According to him, President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan will pay an official visit to Tajikistan while President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan and President Dmitry Medvedev of Russia will arrive in Tajikistan for working visits.

“The presidents are expected to discuss issues related to connection of transport, communications and power systems of Russia and Tajikistan with those of Afghanistan and Pakistan,” Nazriyev said.

They will also consider the pace of preparation and implementation of the Central Asia South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Project (CASA 1000).

We will recall that this World Bank-supported regional electricity transmission project will supply summer surplus power from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to Afghanistan and Pakistan.  The project will promote creation of a regional electricity market by facilitating electricity trade between the energy-resource rich countries of Central Asia, and the energy-deficit countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan in South Asia.

An official introduction of the Russian-build hydroelectric power plant, Sangtuda-1, into operation will be held during President Dmitry Medvedev''s visit to Tajikistan, the MFA spokesman said.