DUSHANBE, October 17, Asia-Plus - Kazakhstan intends to invest US$800 million in Tajikistan’s energy sector, according to the Kazakh Embassy in Dushanbe.

A source at the embassy said that such a statement was made after a series of meetings held by representatives from Kazakhstan Investment Fund with Tajik officials in Dushanbe last week. 

During its stay in Tajikistan the Kazak delegation sought ways and opportunities for investing in various sectors of Tajikistan’s economy, according to the source. 

According to the source, Kazakhstan investment Fund has presented to the Tajik Ministry of Energy a package of proposals on future investment.  Based on these proposals, the Kazakh side intends to invest in the construction of three small hydropower plants on the Zarafshon River in northern Tajikistan and a 500-kilovolt electric line from Khujand, the capital of northern province of Sughd, to the Kazakh region of Shimkent. 

The source noted that this issue is currently under consideration by the Tajik side. 

A Kazakh delegation comprised of representatives from KazInvestMineral, ATF Bank and Kazakhstan Investment Fund, led by the Fund’s head, Zeinulla Kakimzhanov, was in Tajikistan on a four-day working visit from October 8 to October 11.  During their stay in Tajikistan the managers from Kazakhstan Investment Fund held talks with Tajik ministries and organizations on the mining, energy, agrarian and financial sectors. 

The Kazakhstan Investment Fund is one of the state institutions of development of Kazakhstan.  The Fund''s activities began in July 2003.  The form of incorporation is a joint stock company with the government 100% share interest in the authorized capital.  The authorized capital volume is more than US$ 300 million; its step-by-step increase is planned in future.  The Fund provides financial support to the private sector''s initiatives in establishment of competitive industries in the non-primary sector of the economy by way of participation in the authorized capitals of newly established and operating organizations.