Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyayev called Tajikistan to carry out independent expertise of the project on construction of Rogun hydroelectric power station, which has been started in 1980s.

Head of the Uzbek government has sent a letter to his Tajik counterpart Akil Akilov, which was published by Pravda Vostoka newspaper on Wednesday, 3 February 2010.

Several times, the Government of Uzbekistan called the Governments of Tajikistan and Russia, as well as international organization to carry out independent expertise of the project on construction of Rogun hydroelectric power station.

Uzbekistan’s fundamental position on this issue is to rehabilitate construction of Rogun station after throughout independent expertise of the project. Uzbek official drew attention to the fact that the project was developed over 40 years ago based on old project, construction and technology decisions.

Prime Minister underlined that it is necessary to get objective and qualified assessment of possible consequences of construction of such large-scale projects. He said the attention should be paid to:

• Damage, which can be caused by the project to fragile ecologic balance in the region in connection with consequences of Aral catastrophe;
• Impact of the project to change of the volume and regime of Amudarya flow as lives of millions of people in the region, who live in sharp continental desert climate, depend on existing of drinking and spray water, especially during the period of the systematic water shortages;
• Level of protection of the project from man-caused threads, first of all powerful earthquake as Rogun station is constructed at high seismic zone, where frequently registered tremors with 10 points. It is difficult to imagine scale of humanitarian catastrophe, which can be caused by breaking of a dyke. It can cause death of hundred of thousand people.

Uzbek Prime Minister said the threat is strengthened with the fact that no capital-rehabilitation works were not carried out for last 20 years in such hydro power stations as Toktagul and Nurek power stations, which were constructed 35 years ago.

The letter recalled recent accident at Sajano-Shushensk power stations, where serious shortages and problems committed during designing of the station.

Mirziyayev said the position of Uzbekistan on this issue was supported by the UN, European Union, World Bank, ADB and IDB, Russian Federation and other institutions and countries.

The letter said Uzbekistan drew attention of Tajikistan to his issue, but later ignored all calls and constructs the station. It added that some Russian organizations were attracted to the project.

The Uzbek government hopes that rational approaches will prevail in this issue, which is important for stable development of the region, the letter reads. Mirziyayev said Uzbekistan will address international community and ecologic organizations to prevent realization of this project to prevent possible negative consequences if Tajikistan continues to ignore its position.