DUSHANBE, December 28, 2009, Asia-Plus — Tajik independent expert Rashid Ghani Abdullo considers that Tajik-Russian bilateral relations have developed unevenly this year because of Russia’s changeable position regarding its participation in implementation of hydroelectricity projects in Tajikistan.
According to him, one could outline two types of Tajik-Russian relationships in 2009 that substantially differ in their content and character. The first type is the business relations, conventionally non-political and mass and the other one is official relations at highest level.
Relations of the first type have developed regularly as a whole. “This year, Russia has remained to be the most favored destination for Tajik labor migrants, though the global financial and economic crisis has resulted in labor migrants’ remittances decreasing,” said Rashid Ghani Abdullo, “According to official statistics, Tajik labor migrants remitted 2.75 billion U.S. dollars to banks in Tajikistan in 2008, while in January-September 2009, they have remitted 1.3 billion U.S. dollars to banks in the country.”
He noted that Russia’s economic revival in autumn 2009 could result in Tajik labor migrants’ remittances reaching some 2 billion U.S. dollars this year. It is safe to say that this indicator will not be lower in 2010; quite possible that it will be even much higher. The fact that Tajik migrants have quite successfully adapted to new conditions will further this.
As far as official relations between the two countries are concerned they have developed unevenly this year, Rashid Ghani Abdullo noted.
There were demarches on the part of Tajikistan (refusal to attend February summits in Moscow under a plausible pretext; however, Tajik leader attended them due to mediation of some Central Asian leaders) and harsh response of Russia to adoption by Tajikistan of the new state language law as well as the problem of raising the issue of payment for deployment of Russian military base in Tajikistan, visit of Dmitry Medvedev to Tajikistan and a state visit of Emomali Rahmon to Russia. “Tajik-Russian bilateral relations have developed unevenly this year because of Russia’s changeable position regarding its participation in implementation of hydroelectricity projects in Tajikistan,” the expert said.
