DUSHANBE, July 18, 2011, Asia-Plus — Tajikistan has worked out the draft concept of further development of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and sent it for consideration to the CIS member nations and in our opinion, the CIS has more advantages than disadvantages.
Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi remarked this today at a meeting with reporters in Dushanbe. “Unfortunately, there are problems in relations between the CIS nations,” said Zarifi “For example, relations between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan regarding water-and-energy problems existing in the region have not yet changed for the better. Besides, we have still failed to resolve the issue over Russia’s tariffs on oil product exports for Tajikistan.”
At the same time, Tajik minister noted that to raise or lower tariffs on commodities, services and transit shipments was the right of every state.
Since Russia has raised tariffs for oil and oil products exported to Tajikistan, Tajikistan is currently seeking alternative oil product deliveries from Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan and some agreements have already been reached, he noted.
“As far as water-and-energy disagreements between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are concerned, Tajikistan has never infringed and will never infringe upon interests of its neighbors on any issue,” Zarifi stressed.
On the project to construct a railway link connecting Iran, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and China, Zarifi said, “Some positive changes have taken place lately.” “Thus, Turkmenistan that at first did not pay proper attention to this project has begun constructing several stretches of this railway on its territory.
On the issue of Tajikistan’s admission to the World Trade Organization (WTO), the minister noted that Tajikistan has conducted negotiations with many member nations of WTO on that issue to date. “We are beginning negotiations with the main member nations of the Organization – the United States and the key European Union member states,” Zarifi added.
