The deputy prime minister said that the Uzbek side had fulfilled all commitments it took on this year. It is about the transit of electricity and Uzbek electricity supplies to Tajikistan.

"Uzbekistan supplied 100m kWh of electricity to Tajikistan in March, and let the transit of the Turkmen electricity [via its territory to Tajikistan]. For its part, Tajikistan took on the commitment to accumulate water in the Qayroqqum reservoir which is used for irrigation purposes, at a level which is suitable for all countries - as well as Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan," Murodali Alimardon said.

"We were supposed to generate electricity at this hydroelectric power station, however we reduced power generation for these [irrigation] purposes and I am sure that there will be no problem with irrigation [in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan] this year," he said.

The deputy prime minister expressed confidence that no problems should arise by next winter from the Uzbek side either.

"There is a preliminary agreement on purchasing about 600m kWh of electricity from Uzbekistan as well as on allowing transit for importing more than 1bn kWh of Turkmen electricity. All technical details and signing of agreements on these issues will be reached as early as summer. There are no and will not be any problems," Murodali Alimardon assured the Asia-Plus.

We recall that last winter Uzbekistan suspended the transit of the Turkmen electricity [via its territory to Tajikistan] from 1 January 2009 despite agreements in this regard, and resumed the transit only on 1 March.

Murodali Alimardon also said that he did not consider a statement of the Uzbek side on the need for conducting an independent examination by the UN of a project to construct the Roghun hydroelectric power station as an obstacle to the construction of this facility.

"On these conditions Uzbekistan welcomes the construction of the Roghun hydroelectric power station and even want to take part in the project. We consent to conducting this examination and have never denied it.

Moreover, the World Bank, which already started work in this area by employing independent experts, is helping us," the deputy prime minister said.

As for a delay in resolving these issues, Murodali Alimardon said that the regional facilities of this scale are not resolved quickly.

"It is natural that facilities of this kind are of interest for many countries. All of this, including bureaucracy takes much time," he concluded.

We recall that a meeting of the Tajik-Uzbek intergovernmental commission led by Murodali Alimardon from the Tajik side and the first deputy Uzbek prime minister, Rustam Azimov, was held in Dushanbe on 18 February for the first time during seven years. Murodali Alimardon said that next meeting of the Tajik-Uzbek intergovernmental commission would take place in Tashkent. However, so far there is no information when it will take place.