DUSHANBE, January 5, 2012, Asia-Plus -- State and prospects of further expansion of bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and Pakistan were discussed at a meeting of Tajik Ambassador to Pakistan Zubaidullo Zubaidov with the head of the National Assembly of Pakistan (the lower house of Pakistan’s bicameral Majlis-e-Shura) Fahmida Mirza, in Islamabad on January 2, the Tajik MFA information department reports.

In the course of the talks, Tajik diplomat reportedly noted both sides were taking efforts to expand cooperation between the parliaments of the countries.  He conveyed to Ms. Mirza the invitation of Speaker of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) Shukurjon Zuhurov to visit Tajikistan.

For her part, Ms. Fahmida Mirza noted that Tajikistan was an important political and economic partner for Pakistan and the Pakistani side was taking efforts to promote further expansion of bilateral cooperation with Tajikistan.

Meanwhile, Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reported on January 3 that Zubaidullo Zubaidov and Fahmida Mirza also discussed issues related to the CASA 1000 project, which is backed by the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank and aims to bring electricity from hydropower plants in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Zubaidov said Tajikistan would like to start exporting electricity to Pakistan within the framework of CASA 1000 but is trying to complete work on the Tajik part of the project.

An estimated $950 million is still required to fund the project.  About 25 percent of that amount ($251 million) is needed to build power transmission lines in Tajikistan.

In December, Tajik and Afghan officials discussed construction of the Sanobod hydropower project, which would generate some 100 MW of electricity per year.  Reports mentioned Pakistan was interested in importing up to 50 percent of the electricity from Sanobod when it''s completed, RFE/RL reports.