DUSHANBE, December 13, Asia-Plus – Central Asia as dynamically developing region attracts attention of the advanced countries, Nematjon Buriyev, head of the economic reforms and investments department of President’s Executive Office, remarked at a meeting within the framework of the “Central Asia plus Japan” Dialogue that opened in Dushanbe today.
According to him, the Central Asian region has a good economic potential and active regional cooperation could be a key factor contributing to realization of this potential. “Initiative shown by Japan within the Dialogue is aimed at expansion of this cooperation,” Buriyev noted.
Buriyev said in an interview with Asia-Plus that Tajikistan offers Japan to consider three investment projects for a total amount of some US$400 million. These projects are aimed at enhancing energy and transportation sectors in the republic.
One of these projects, costing US$173 million, provides for the construction of a 500-kilovolt power-transmission line from Kyrgyzstan to northern Tajikistan, Datka-Khujand.
The second project for the rehabilitation of Tajikistan’s rolling-stock and purchase of new main and shunting locomotives, as well as 2,000 goods trucks, costs US$198.4 million. The project is designed for 10 year.
The Tajik side also offers Japan to consider the project for construction of a 133-kilometer road Guliston-Farkhor-Panji Poyon-Dusti in the Khatlon province. The estimated budget for the construction of this road is US$28 million.
The second meeting of foreign ministers of Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and the special envoy from Kazakhstan was held within the framework of the “Central Asia plus Japan” Dialogue in Tokyo in June last year. Particpatns at the meeting reviewed the progress of cooperative actions within the new framework agreed on at the First Foreign Ministers” Meeting held in August, 2004, and discussed how the countries could cooperate among themselves, focusing on the promotion of intra-regional cooperation.
The basic principles of the “Central Asia plus Japan” Dialogue are “respect for diversity,” “competition and coordination,” and “open cooperation.”
