DUSHANBE, November 10, 2010, Asia-Plus — Tajikistan and Russia have agreed to consider the issue of resumption of duty-free delivery of Russian oil products to Tajikistan.
According to the Tajik Embassy in Moscow, this issue was one of major topics of the 11th meeting of the Tajik-Russian commission for economic cooperation that took place in Moscow on November 9.
The meeting was co-chaired by Tajik Deputy Prime Minister Asadullo Ghulomov and Russian Minister of Energy Sergey Shmatko.
“Sergey Shmatko noted that this agreement is the biggest achievement of the meeting,” the source said.
We will recall that Russia on May 1 introduced the export duty on light oil for Tajikistan at the rate of 203.7 U.S. dollars per one ton and on June 1, the export duty was raised to 209.1 U.S. dollars. Introduction of the export duty on light oil has resulted in gasoline prices rising in Tajikistan in late May. According to Russian media, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan had been receiving Russian fuel duty free since 1995, in keeping with protocols to the government-to-government agreements on the establishment of a free trade zone within the CIS area. However, Russian customs started collecting a duty on oil products exported to Kyrgyzstan on April 1 and to Tajikistan on May 1.
The meeting also considered state and prospects of further expansion of trade and economic cooperation between Tajikistan and the Russian Federation.
The meeting participants,, in particular, discussed the issue of possible participation of Russian companies in construction of a new hydropower plant in Tajikistan. They also endorsed the schedule of repayment of debts by Barqi Tojik (Tajik electricity supplier) to open joint-stock company (OJSC) Sangtudinskaya GES-1, which operates the Sangtuda-1 hydropower plant in Tajikistan. Under this schedule, Barqi Tojik must pay off it debts to Sangtudinskaya GES-1 until the end of 2011.
The next 12th meeting of the Tajik-Russian commission for economic cooperation will take place in Dushanbe.
