DUSHANBE, April 12, 2013, Asia-Plus – Tajik President Emomali Rahmon attended a forum that took place in Brussels on April 11 to discuss new investment opportunities in the energy sector in Tajikistan, the Tajik president’s official website reports.
Presided over by EMP Struan Stevenson, the forum brought together heads of relevant ministries and agencies of Tajikistan, Energy Charter Secretary General Urban Rusnak, Senior Vice-President of Total S.A. for Continental Europe and Central Asia Michael Borrell, Tethys Petroleum President David Robson and senior representatives of many large European companies.
At the beginning, President Rahmon briefed the participants on the abundant investment opportunities for economic development projects in Tajikistan and favorable political and legal climate created for businessmen and investors in the country.
Such opportunities were presented in detail by Davlatali Saidov, Chairman of the State Committee for Investments and State-owned Property Management and Gul Sherali, Minister of Energy and Industries.
Detailed information was offered on abundant opportunities of investment in different sectors of Tajik economy, like hydropower, agriculture and minerals.
From among the foreign partners of Tajikistan in energy sphere, first of all Energy Charter Secretary General Urban Rusnak spoke at the forum and noted that the prospects of development of this sphere in Tajikistan were quite promising.
Tethys Petroleum President David Robson stated that “Tajikistan may become one of the great countries in the region with its abundant oil and gas resources, first of all in the Amu Darya basin.”
According to him, Tajikistan”s Amu Darya basin oil reserves are estimated at 27.5 billion barrels and its natural-gas reserves are estimated at 3.22 trillion cubic meters.
Issues related to opportunities of participation in implementation of promising projects to enhance Tajikistan’s energy sector were a major topic of the forum.
The forum participants, in particular, stressed that fruitful use of Tajikistan’s water-and-energy resources would promote steady socioeconomic development of the whole region, as many countries of the region experience electric power shortages.
