DUSHANBE, May 30, Asia-Plus — On Tuesday May 30, visiting acting Regional Director of the World Bank for Central Asia Ms. Annette Dixon met in Dushanbe with President Emomali Rahmonov.
Their talks centered on Tajikistan’s economic achievements and state and prospects of further expansion of cooperation between Tajikistan’s Government and the World Bank.
“Tajikistan has made good successes in economic development, however it has to work on improvement of investment climate,” Ms. Dixon told journalists following her meeting with President Rahmonov. Tajikistan and the World Bank have worked out a good line of cooperation aimed at enhancement of investment climate and further economic development of the country, according to her.
The WB official noted that Tajikistan had good potentials for exporting electric power to other countries. Ms. Dixon noted that the World Bank was currently providing technical assistance in the completion of the construction of the Roghun hydropower plant in Tajikistan and in future, the World Bank would consider the issue of providing technical assistance and financial support for energy projects in Tajikistan.
“To date, negotiations on projects for enhancing investment climate in Tajikistan, reforming public management and developing statistics in the republic that will be implemented under support of the World Bank have been completed,” said Mr. Dixon, “The World Bank has approved many projects for Tajikistan aimed at enhancement of education and health sectors in the republic. For example, the “Education for All” project is being implemented.”
Tajikistan joined the World Bank in 1993. Since that time, commitments to the country total approximately US$400 million for projects approved on both a lending and grant basis. For this year, the World Bank has provided US$36 million in grants for implementation of projects on enhancement of social sector in Tajikistan, US$18 million in grants for implementing current projects and US$5 million for preventing avian influenza (bird flu).
