DUSHANBE, February 14, Asia-Plus – Monday [February 13] evening, President Emomali Rahmonov met with visiting head of Agriculture Section within the World Bank Environmental Protection Department Jorgen Fegele (phonetically spelled) and director of he Asian Development bank (ADB) Agriculture Department Katzuchi Matsunami (phonetically spelled).
The meeting focused on further expansion of cooperation between the Government of Tajikistan with the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank in the area of agriculture.
After the meeting, the WB and ADB officials told journalists that a state of cotton growing in
Tajikistan
was in the center of discussion. They pointed to the necessity of thorough analysis of reasons for and sums of debts of dehqan (peasant) farms. It will take some six months, according to them.
Commenting on the possibility of writing off the farming units debts, the WB and ADB officials stressed once again that it, first of all, depended not only on the banks, and secondly, it was necessary to analyze the situation. Carrying out such analysis requires some US$800,000, according to Mr. Fegele. At the same time, it was noted that the WB and the ADB ill continue supporting enhancement of agrarian sector in
Tajikistan
.
