MANILA, May 25 (Xinhua) -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Monday said it is aiding a massive electricity transmission program that will bring steady power supply to the Afghanistan's capital of Kabul.

    The 420-kilometer transmission corridor, constructed by a range of partners including the United States, Germany, Japan, India, World Bank, the ADB and Islamic Development Bank, carries electricity across some of the most challenging mountainous terrain on earth from Uzbekistan to Afghanistan, the ADB said in a press release.

    "For the first time in more than a generation, Kabul's 4 million people can now enjoy the benefits of a stable source of electricity," said Juan Miranda, Director General of ADB's Central and West Asia Department. "This is one of the largest infrastructure projects ever undertaken in Afghanistan, and underscores ADB's commitment to rebuild the country's shattered infrastructure."

    ADB's Afghanistan Country Director Craig Steffensen said the new line is the first step in building a network that will eventually connect many other parts of the country that still lack electricity.

    Steffensen said the ADB is also providing 56.5 million U.S. dollars in loans to finance the linkage between Afghanistan and Tajikistan for additional power supply and a further 50 million U.S. dollars in loans will be spent on stretching the network to cover 1.2 million people who live in rural Afghanistan.