Kyrgyzstan has stopped supplying electricity to Tajikistan, said Kyrgyz Minister of Energy and Industry Saparbek Balkibekov. During the meeting in Moscow in January 24, Prime Minister of Tajikistan Akil Akilov asked Kyrgyz Prime Minister Igor Chudinov to increase capacity of electricity supply to Tajikistan, informs CA-News Service.

Currently Tajikistan is in extremely critical situation with electricity supply because of the coldest winter ever. It runs out of Nurek water reservoir. Tajik Prime Minister was really concerned about the situation:

I am aware of the situation at Toktogul water reservoir. You have little water left to the dead storage capacity. However, taking into account the situation in Tajikistan I would ask you to increase the capacity of electricity supply to Tajikistan.

The Tajik Prime Minister also reminded about intergovernmental agreement between two countries that were signed by heads of states.

According to the agreement, Sulukta (town in the west of Kyrgyzstan) is supplied with electricity by our energy system. That is why I ask you to increase electric energy capacity at least up to 50 megawatt.

Kyrgyz PM Igor Chudinov raised questions of electricity and construction of transport communication between the countries.

Igor Chudinov explains the decision to stop supplying electricity by saying that Kyrgyzstan was to supply 11 million kWh of electricity since February 2008. Tajikistan in turn was to supply 55 million kWh of electricity to Kyrgyzstan in April-May. The Minister of Energy and Industry said Tajikistan refused to comply with its commitments, in the result Kyrgyzstan stopped supplying electricity.

I heard from people in Tajikistan that the situation is terrible and children are simply freezing. How come the mutually signed intergovernmental agreements stop working during such a crises?