DUSHANBE, November 26, 2008, Asia-Plus – The EU Troika and Tajikistan talks are expected to take place in Dushanbe in May 2009, Mr. Victor Andreas Maldonado, Head of Eastern European, Caucasus and Central Asia Directorate of the European Commission Foreign Affairs General Directorate, remarked at the 8th session of the EU-Tajikistan Joint Committee in Dushanbe on November 25.
According to him, the European Union and Tajikistan have jointly held a number of important events over the past several months, including the First Human Rights Dialogue Meeting between Tajikistan and the European Union that took place in Dushanbe last month.
However, the European Union is concerned over the fact that a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA)
signed between the EU and Tajikistan in Luxemburg on October 11 2004 has not yet been ratified, Mr. Maldonado noted. “We plan to consider this issue during the ministerial meeting in Dushanbe in May 2009,” he said.
The EU official noted that the European Union had doubled financial support to Central Asia, and “Tajikistan is one of the main recipients of our aid in 2010.”
For his part, Economic Development and Trade Minister Ghulomjon Bobozoda noted that serious energy crisis had hit Tajikistan during the past difficult winter that had led to decrease in the production volumes and the global food crisis had affected two thirds of Tajikistan’s population.
Besides, the global economic and financial crisis will also have impact on Tajikistan that will adversely affect labor migrants’ remittances and the country’s exports, the minister said, noting the government has taken measures to mitigate effects of the crisis.
The EU-Tajikistan Joint Committee reviewed the implementation of the EU strategy for Central Asia with regard to Tajikistan, Tajikistan’s macroeconomic development in 2007-2008 as well as prognosis for the future.
Representatives of the European Union and Tajikistan also discussed issues related to updating information about key reforms in Tajikistan, including implementation of the Energy Plan, as well as negotiations on Tajikistan’s admission to the World Trade Organization (WTO).
