Zardari to meet Karzai, Medvedev in Tajikistan

DUSHANBE: The leaders of Russia, Afghanistan and Pakistan are scheduled to meet in the Tajik capital Dushanbe later this month in an effort to boost regional cooperation, the Tajik authorities said on Tuesday. Dmitry Medvedev of Russia, Emomali Rakhmon of Tajikistan, Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan and Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan are scheduled to meet on July 29 and 30 ‘for discussions of closer economic cooperation,’ said a Tajik foreign ministry spokesman. ‘Preparations for the meeting of the leaders are under way. The meeting’s main theme is cooperation in energy, communications and transportation,’ said the spokesman Davlat Nazriyev, adding that regional security might also be discussed. The get-together would come on the heels of a three-party meeting between Medvedev, Karzai and Zardari last month in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, where the men pledged to join efforts in the fight against terror and expand economic cooperation. Russia and Tajikistan have traditionally had strong ties since the fall of the Soviet Union and the Kremlin has also been keen to increase its role as a mediator in the region. Medvedev will travel to Tajikistan to launch the Sangtuda-1 hydro plant, controlled and operated by Russia, while Zardari was scheduled to arrive in Dushanbe on an official visit on the eve of the four-party meeting. ‘Tajikistan boasts rich hydro energy resources and during the meeting the leaders will pay special attention to the Central Asia South Asia electricity transmission project,’ said Nazriyev. The multimillion dollar project aims to supply surplus power from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to Afghanistan and Pakistan.