US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Discusses New Silk Road Initiative; Lauds AKDN for “Creating O

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Discusses New Silk Road Initiative; Lauds AKDN for “Creating Opportunities for the Tajik People”

Dushanbe, 22 October 2011 – Speaking at a meeting called the “Town Hall with Women, Youth, and Civil Society”, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton thanked the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) for arranging for the use of the Ismaili Centre for the forum and remarked that the Network was “working so hard to create opportunities for the Tajik people”. The town hall meeting was part of a “New Silk Road Initiative”.

The town hall meeting brought together various members of the country’s civil society, local and international aid and development organizations, and local and regional media outlets. The Secretary discussed collaboration – within the context of the New Silk Road Initiative – with AKDN Resident Representative Munir Merali.

In highlighting some of the critical challenges facing the region, Secretary Clinton discussed the potential to create employment, especially among the youth and women; attract foreign investments; and integrate regional economies, as outlined in the New Silk Road Initiative, to engender peace, security and stability in the region and beyond.

Secretary Clinton also cited the successful private-public-partnership of PamirEnergy, a rehabilitated hydropower station in South Eastern Tajikistan, noting, "the United States is working with the Aga Khan Development Network to support PamirEnergy in building an integrated energy grid along the Tajik-Afghan border". PamirEnergy is a cross-border electricity transmission project that is helping to light up two very remote provinces of Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Today, PamirEnergy not only meets the electricity needs of its catchment population, but also provides energy to over 1,500 households across the Pyanj River in some of the most isolated and vulnerable areas in Northern Afghanistan.