Russian businessmen have signed a memorandum on development of coal thermal power in Afghanistan in cooperation with the country’s neighbors, Iran and Pakistan. Russia is also involved in other projects, including with Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. “One month ago, businessmen from the Republic of Tatarstan signed a memorandum on development of the coal thermal power sector in Afghanistan in Kabul. It is a trilateral project with Iran and Pakistan,” Russian Ambassador to Afghanistan Dmitry Zhirnov told Izvestia’s March 6 issue.
He also spoke of other projects. Russian pipe producers are ready to join the construction of the Afghan part of the gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to Pakistan and India. This is the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline project, to which Kabul has been committed, but lacked the means to advance the construction.
Inside Kabul, Russian engineers inspected the boiler houses, heating networks, water supply systems, power substations and prepared a plan for restoration of the utility system. TASS also reports today that Russia will participate in the technical group working on the Trans-Afghan Railway—the proposed line going from Uzbekistan to Pakistan through Afghanistan, that would give landlocked Uzbekistan sea access.
