BOAO (China): The Asian Development Bank on Saturday said it would support and finance development and export of 2000mw electricity from Kyrgyzstan and gas supplies from Turkmenistan through pipeline to Pakistan.

ADB president C. Lawrence Greenwood said at the Boao forum on “Transnational Hub, Linking Asian to the Middle East and Beyond” that his institution would extend maximum support in Pakistan’s endeavours to become a transnational hub for central Asian states, south Asia and the Middle East.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said Pakistan was developing the Gwadar port as a regional trade and energy hub and from there a gas pipeline could be extended to China. Chinese banks were showing interest to be part of such a programme, he said.