DUSHANBE, October 29, 2011, Asia-Plus — Poland will extend 50 million U.S. dollars in a preferential loan to Tajikistan for implementation of five projects.
Representatives of the Tajik-Polish intergovernmental commission for trade and economic cooperation remarked this in Dushanbe on October 28 following the second meeting the Tajik-Polish commission for trade and economic cooperation.
Tajik Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Umed Davlatzoda, noted that a Poland-invested company has operated in the Tajik northern Sughd province since August. “The enterprise manufactures solar collectors,” Davlatzoda said, adding that Tajikistan’s State Committee for Investments and State-owned Property Management and Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency signed a memorandum of cooperation.
“The main directions of cooperation with Poland include food safety, farm produce processing, fishery, animal husbandry and training of specialists on European-standard education produce,” Davlatzoda said.
According to him, Poland will extend a preferential loan to Tajikistan for implementation of five investment projects, namely construction of primary infrastructures for the free economic zones (FEZ) in Sughd and Panj, and construction of domestic and industrial waste management plants in Khujand and Vahdat.
Rafal Baniak, Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Economy of Poland, for his part, noted that the sides had considered opportunities of further expansion of mutually beneficial cooperation between Poland and Tajikistan.
“During our stay in Dushanbe, we held talks with senior representatives of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Finance, the National Bank of Tajikistan and the State Committee for Investments and State-owned Property Management,” said Baniak. “The Government of Poland is currently working out a package of documents that will stimulate a two-way trade between our countries. One of such instruments is the preferential US$50 million loan. The next instrument is measures to support Poland’s exports; the National Bank of Poland may provide loans through credit lines of banks functioning in Tajikistan.”
According to him, the Polish Government will support Polish entrepreneurs wanting to know the situation in Tajikistan’s market. A Polish delegation consisting of representatives of the governmental bodies and Polish business community will arrive in Tajikistan in the near future, Baniak said.
He also noted that Poland would like to develop contacts in the region. In particular, Poland wants to establish contacts with Afghanistan through Tajikistan.
“We are interested in free economic zones located not far from the Afghan border,” Polish official said.
