DUSHANBE, October 29, Asia-Plus — Ukraine has expressed wish to establish a trade house in the Tajik southern Khatlon province that will give it an opportunity to export its goods to Afghanistan and China.
Kharkov governor Arsen Avakov remarked this in Dushanbe yesterday during an address to a conference with participation of representatives of business communities of Tajikistan and Ukraine.
He outlined sectors like energy, agriculture and trade as areas of which could drive the bilateral trade between the two countries.
“Ukraine needs cotton and is interested in increase in fruit and dried fruit supplies from Tajikistan,” said the Kharkov governor, “For its part, Ukraine could help Tajikistan build small hydropower plants with capacity of 1 to 2 MW and enhance its agrarian sector.
On the trade cooperation between Ukraine and Tajikistan, Avakov noted that there was one obstacle in the way further development of trade between the two countries. “In 2008, Ukraine and Tajikistan signed an agreement on a free trade and the Ukrainian side has already ratified the agreement, while Tajikistan has not yet ratified the document that creates additional impediments to development of free trade between the two countries,” he stressed.
He reminded that a two-way trade between Tajikistan and Ukraine in January-September this year has valued at US$77 million. This consisted of Tajikistan’s exports to Ukraine estimated at some US$3 million and Tajikistan’s imports from Ukraine worth US$73 million.
According to him, Tajikistan exported 130 tons of dried fruits and 1,500 tons of cotton fiber to Ukraine from January 1 to October 15 this year. Over the report period, Ukraine supplied 1,200 tons sugar, 1,500 tons of whet flour and 2,500 tons of corn.
As it had been reported earlier, Governor of Ukrainian Kharkov Region Arsen Avakov arrived in Dushanbe yesterday morning at the head of a delegation, which includes senior representatives from Basis Bank, Kharkov confectionary-producing plant Kharkovchanka, open-joint-stock company (OJSC) Turboatom, OJSC Turbogaz, Kharkov tractor plant, and bakery plant Saptovsky.
The main purpose of a three-day visit is for the Kharkov delegation to hold talks with heads of a number of Tajik ministries and organizations as well as Khatlon governor Ghaybullo Avzalov to discuss cooperation issues. The delegation is also scheduled to hold talks with President Emomali Rahmon and Prime Minister Oqil Oqilov.
Today, the delegation is visiting the Khatlon province as well as the Norak HPP and the site for construction of the Roghun HPP.
