Tajikistan's electricity debt owed by Afghanistan has been settled.
Tajikistan and Afghanistan are winning over cooperation, especially in trading electricity, despite Tajikistan's initial reluctance to recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan.
In a recent update on February 1, Energy and Water Resources Minister Daler Juma announced that Afghanistan has cleared all its dues for the power it received thus far—a notable improvement since 2021 when Kabul struggled to settle its bills outright.
Last year, Tajikistan exported a whopping 2.7 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, worth approximately $110.4 million, according to Juma. This figure represented a 5% increase from 2022, though the exact quantity meant for Afghanistan wasn't specified.
Tajikistan exports power to neighboring countries like Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. Juma noted that most of this power is delivered in the spring and summer, when hydropower facilities produce excess capacity. The exception is Afghanistan, which continues to receive electricity in small quantities to support essential infrastructure. The details about the tariff for this electricity remain undisclosed.
Since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan and established their self-proclaimed Islamic Emirate, Tajikistan has taken a cool stance towards the country. President Emomali Rahmon has expressed stern opinions, stating in August 2021 that his government would not acknowledge the Taliban's rule over Afghanistan unless the ethnic Tajik minority, allegedly accounting for 46% of the total population, is granted a significant role in governing the country.
Despite the political tension, the two countries have been in ongoing economic dialogue. Trade turnover reached $98 million in 2023, a 12% decrease compared to the previous year.
Tajikistan and Afghanistan signed an agreement back in 2008 for the supply of Tajik electricity through to 2028. At the end of each year, the parties renegotiate a renewal protocol, setting the cost and volume of electricity supplies for the following year. The head of Tajik state power company Mahmadumar Asozoda met with his Afghan counterpart, Alhaj Mullah Muhammad Hanif Hamza, in December in Turkey, to sign an electricity purchase agreement for 2024.
During the meeting, the pair also discussed the expansion of a new 500 kV transmission line from Tajikistan to Afghanistan. The state-owned Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) confirmed this development in a statement.
Moreover, Afghanistan has expressed interest in continuing to collaborate on the implementation of CASA-1000, a Western-backed project aimed at connecting hydropower-rich nations Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to Afghanistan and Pakistan through the export of surplus hydropower.
As the CASA-1000 project progresses, Tajikistan and Afghanistan will remain closely connected—both as partners in electricity trade and as neighbors working together to improve regional infrastructure and strengthen economic ties.
In the midst of their ongoing economic dialogue, Tajikistan and Afghanistan are planning to expand their partnership, with discussions about a new 500 kV transmission line from Tajikistan to Afghanistan. This development comes as both countries continue to discuss the potential for Afghanistan to collaborate on the implementation of the CASA-1000 project, which aims to connect hydropower-rich nations and export surplus hydropower. In light of these collaborations, sports and news about their progress in strengthening economic ties and improving regional infrastructure are likely to make headlines.
