Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian arrived in the Tajik capital on Monday to attend the international conference of "Decade for Action: Water for Life".

Chitchian was greeted by Tajikistan's minister of transportation and communication, Sher-Ali Ganjalizadeh, at the Dushanbe International Airport. The two officials briefly discussed water and energy ties, Fars news agency reported.

The United Nations General Assembly, in December 2003, proclaimed the years 2005-2015 as the International Decade for Action �Water for Life�.

The minister said he would discuss bilateral cooperation on water projects with his Tajik counterpart, expressing hope that talks on the sidelines of the event would boost cooperation between Iran and Tajikistan on Anzab Tunnel and Sang Tudeh hydroelectric power plant projects carried out by Iranian engineers.

Iran is considering importing water from neighboring Tajikistan and the minister will discuss the issue in Dushanbe as water shortage in Iran has reached crisis point.
Water can be imported from Tajikistan's Lake Sarez, located in the western Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO), via pipelines.

By Financial Tribune