Relations Between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan Over Construction of the Roghun Dam

Abstract

This paper attempts to describe current trends and developments in Tajik-Uzbek relations over construction of the Roghun hydro-power dam on the Vakhsh river. Water management problem between upstream and downstream states in Central Asia has been transformed to a politicized issue over the recent years, which involves a wide range of technical and academic debates between the two republics. While experts and officials from Tajikistan blame Tashkent for using the transit dependency of the poorest state in Central Asia as political leverage to prevent Dushanbe from construction of the nationwide project, Uzbek officials accuse Tajik president Emomali Rahmon’s administration of ignoring their neighbors’ interests and international regulations on transboundary rivers and ignoring safety standards with the construction of a 335 meters high Roghun dam in seismically unstable Tajikistan. There are a variety of other factors, including those connected to Roghun and those separate from it, which has been leading to periodical crises in the neighbors’ relations. The main reason preventing the sides from friendly neighborly relations is zero sum perspective of the both Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as well as lack of political will and trust necessary for cooperation. It is of the best interest not only for Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to resolve the inter-state disputes and establish cooperative relations, but also for the United States, Russia, Iran and China, having their own interests in stability of the region. However, none of the powers is able to objectively assess and resolve the disputes between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan due to its own interests.