DUSHANBE, October 18, Asia-Plus – On October 17, Russian Ambassador to Tajikistan Ramazan Abdulatipov gave a news conference in Dushanbe dedicated to the Russian-Tajik agreements signed during Russian President Putin’s visit to Tajikistan in October 2004.
Abdulatipov noted that 18 agreements were signed in Dushanbe in October 2004 and “a new stage of development of the Russian-Tajik relations starts from this moment.”
The ambassador especially underlined the energy projects. According to him, at present some 3,000 Tajik nationals are working on the construction of Sangtuda-1 power plant. On the construction of the Roghun hydroelectric power station, Abdulatipov noted that Germany’s Lehmeyer International had completed a feasibility study for completing the construction of the Roghun station. “The Russian side is ready to hold a meeting of intergovernmental commission even today but the Tajik side considers it necessary that experts should study the resolution in detail and only after that to hold the intergovernmental commission on this subject,” Abdulatipov noted.
We will recall that under agreements announced during Russian President Vladimir Putin”s visit to Tajikistan on October 16 2004, RusAl is slated to invest a total of $1.6 billion in Tajikistan over the next seven years
Abdulatipov also discussed with journalists the labor migration subject. He noted, “Tajik citizens should not be concerned over measures taken by the Russian Federation to regulate the labor migration issue,” stressed the ambassador, “A new migration law will take effect on January 15 and migrant will have more rights under this law, which also simplifies procedures to get permission for registration and employment.”
Asked about state of Russian military base in Tajikistan and whether it may face problems as the Russian military base in Georgia, the ambassador noted that such a situation is not expected in Tajikistan. “The president of Tajikistan has never put under question documents signed in Dushanbe with the Russian side,” said Russian diplomat, “ Besides, he has reiterated that only the Russian military base will be deployed in Tajikistan and no other bases will be here.”
Touching upon the Fellow-countrymen program, Abdulatipov stressed that the program is already under way and regions for resettlement have already been defined. But this program is not so topical for Tajikistan, according to him. “There is no big potential in Tajikistan that could move to Russia under this program because the majority of the Russian-speaking population here are pensioners,” Abdulatipov noted.
On the humanitarian cooperation between the two countries, the ambassador noted that Russia plans to open branches of a number of its higher educational institutions in Tajikistan.
Touching upon on a two-way trade between Russia and Tajikistan, Abdulatipov noted that compared to last year it is expected to increase by 60 percent this year. Last year, the trade between Russia and Tajikistan amounted to US$230 million while, over the first eight months of this year this figure has already been exceeded, according to the ambassador. However, Abdulatipov express regret that Russia has not yet been the main trading partner of Tajikistan. “At present Tajik cotton and aluminum mainly move not to Russia,” said he, “Tajik cotton mainly moves to Latvia and Kazakhstan while textile enterprises in the Russian region of Ivanovo could process it.”
