DUSHANBE, August 26, 2009, Asia-Plus — Kazakhstan has supported and will continue to support mutually acceptable projects in Tajikistan, Kazakhs President Abutalip Akhmetov remarked at a press conference in Dushanbe on August 25.
According to him, Kazakhstan is ready to consider specific projects not only in the hydropower sector but also in other sectors like metallurgy, agriculture and construction.
On the participation of the Kazakh side in construction of the Nouroobod-1 hydropower plant in eastern Tajikistan, Akhmetov reminded that presentation of the Kazakh company that had expressed wish to build that hydropower was held in February this year. “However, in the summer, Tajikistan and China signed an agreement on construction of this power plant,” said Kazakh diplomat, “I think Kazakhstan, namely this private company, preserves the right to seek necessary funds, especially as the Chinese side and Tajikistan do not object to Kazakhstan’s participating in the project.”
Akhmetov stressed that his country was ready to participate in construction of other hydropower plants in Tajikistan as well.
He also noted that al necessary legal procedures for establishment and functioning of a joint investment fund had been completed. “The fund’s board will be located in Dushanbe and persons to manage the fund from both Tajik and Kazakh sides have already been appointed,” said Ambassador Akhmetov, “The fund will invest in projects, first of all, hydroelectricity projects, in Tajikistan. Kazakhstan provides 80 percent of the money for the fund and representative of Kazakhstan will head the fund’s board.”
We will recall that Tajikistan and Kazakhstan agreed to set up the joint investment fund of 100 million U.S. dollars in September 2007 during Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s visit to Tajikistan. The fund will give priority to the economic areas that are of interest to both countries: electric power generation, agriculture, the mining industry, and other important spheres of the economy.
On the trade between the two countries, Kazakh diplomat noted that the global financial crisis had hit its level significantly. “Over the first half-year of 2009, a two-way trade between Kazakhstan and Tajikistan in January-June this year has decreased by 144 million U.S. dollars,” he said.
According to data of Tajikistan’s the State Committee for Statistics, the trade between Tajikistan has amounted to 164 3053 million U.S. dollars.
