DUSHANBE, February 15, Asia-Plus — Tajikistan’s debt to Turkmenistan now amounts to $23 million.
Tajik Ambassador to Tajikistan Qozidavlat Qoimdodov told Asia-Plus that “in 2005, Tajikistan’s debt to Turkmenistan amounted to $36 million.” “Over the past three years, Turkmenistan has written off $13 million of our debt,” the ambassador said, adding that the present Tajikistan’s debt to Turkmenistan includes $16 million, which are debt arrears of the 1990s owed by Tajik national bank to Turkmen central bank.
“By instruction of Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov this issue will be considered and solved in the shortest possible time,” Mr. Qoimdodov said.
Tajikistan’s debt to Turkmenistan also includes $4 million owed by Tajik power engineering specialists to their Turkmen colleagues and $3 million owed by the Tajik agriculture ministry to the Turkmen agriculture ministry.
The agriculture ministry’s debt had also formed in the 1990s, Tajik diplomat said.
