Istanbul, Turkiye, 7 March 2024 – The Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group, the premier multilateral development bank of the Global South, has reaffirmed its commitment to accelerating the implementation of the CASA-1000 project, which aims to transform the energy landscape in Central and South Asia through clean energy transmission.

Dr. Mohamed Ishtiaq Akbar, Country Operations Manager at IsDB Group Regional Hub Turkey (RHT), welcomed the participants as the hosting International Financial Institution (IFI) at the opening session of the CASA-1000 Joint Working Group Meeting from 7 to 8 March 2024 in Istanbul, Turkey.

The US$ 1.6 billion Central Asia-South Asia (CASA-1000) power transmission project, funded by a host of national and international co-financiers including the IsDB, is destined to eventually realize the export of surplus hydroelectricity from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to Afghanistan and Pakistan, and enable the regional electricity trade.

High-level experts and officials from the World Bank and other IFIs, together with ranking representatives from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan attended the two-day event.

Dr. Ishtiaq expressed thanks to all parties involved in the CASA-1000 project including the four participating countries as well as the World Bank, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), European Bank for Investment (EIB), UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and USAID for their commitment to the project during implementation, especially in the past two challenging years.

Appreciating a recent decision by the World Bank to resume CASA-1000 works in Afghanistan, he reiterated that the IsDB-financed sections of the project in Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan are nearing completion and urged for the earliest resumption and completion of works in Afghanistan.

“This project holds immense potential to improve lives, empower communities, and foster sustainable development across the region,” the IsDB Group RHT Country Operations Manager said.

The Joint Working Group Meeting comes after a joint statement was issued in early December 2023 by the Energy Ministers of Tajikistan, Pakistan, and Kyrgyzstan voiced commitment to speed up the implementation of the project that will improve people’s well-being and enhance climate action in Central and South Asia.