A Taliban delegation led by Abdul Bari Omari, head of the group’s Breshna electricity company, has travelled to Tajikistan to participate in the regional CASA-1000 summit.

The summit brings together representatives from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, the Taliban, the World Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, and several other organisations. The gathering aims to review the current status of the CASA-1000 electricity transmission project, address challenges, explore solutions, and plan the next phases of implementation.

According to a statement issued on Wednesday, 14 May, Breshna, the Taliban-controlled national electricity provider, confirmed that delegates will also visit the converter station located in the Sangtuda region of Tajikistan.

CASA-1000 is one of the largest regional electricity transmission initiatives, designed to export surplus power from Central Asia to South Asia through Afghanistan. Breshna stated that "this project not only enhances economic cooperation among member countries but also represents a significant step toward strengthening political ties and promoting sustainable regional development.”

Earlier this year, on 31 March, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov jointly inaugurated a cross-border power transmission line in Khujand, Sughd province of Tajikistan, as part of the CASA-1000 project.

In February 2024, the World Bank announced that construction of the CASA-1000 power line in Afghanistan would commence at the request of the participating countries, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan. The World Bank emphasised that all financial transactions related to the project in Afghanistan would be managed externally and remain separate from the Taliban's control.