DUSHANBE, April 28, 2010, Asia-Plus — The first meeting of the Coordination Council on Free Economic Zones (FEZ) took place in Dushanbe on April 27.
Organized by the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade with support from the OSCE Office in Tajikistan, the meeting brought together representatives from all involved governmental agencies as well as diplomatic missions and international organizations active in the country to discuss coordination activities for the 2010-2011 periods.
According to the OSCE Office in Tajikistan, speaking at the meeting, Ambassador Ivar Vikki, the Head of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan, noted that the meeting was very important to help the sides coordinate actions in an area which involved several dimensions of Tajikistan”s economic development and long-term security. According to him, the meeting is an example of working together and supporting the Tajik Government to address development issues in an increasingly self-sufficient manner.
The OSCE office in Tajikistan, the OSCE Office and Tajikistan”s Ministry of Economic Development and Trade signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the OSCE”s involvement in enhancing the Ministry”s capacity to coordinate the involvement and activities of international and national organizations for the development of free economic zones in the country. The Coordination Council on Free Economic Zones was created under this agreement.
We will recall that the Government of Tajikistan passed a law on Free Economic Zones in 2004, establishing zones in Sughd and Panj. These zones create favorable conditions that stimulate investment opportunities in Tajikistan, creating more jobs, boosting local production, and increasing the country’s export potential.
