DUSHANBE, January 26, 2012, Asia-Plus — The situation that is currently emerging around Iran cannot affect Tajikistan’s economy seriously.
Tajik Minister of Economic Development and Trade Sharif Rahimzoda remarked this at a news conference in Dushanbe on January 25.
“Opportunities of receipt of currency means to Tajikistan from Iran have been turned off long ago,” said the minister. “Meanwhile, putting Bank Tejarat on the list of banks on transactions with which ban is imposed does not affect receipt of investments to the country. The branch of Iran’s Bank Tejarat operating in Tajikistan is not engaged in loaning, it is engaged in buying and selling foreign currencies.”
He noted that investments from Iran would decrease, but “the share of Iranian investments in Tajikistan’s economy has not been so large.”
According to the statistical data from the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, direct Iran’s investments in Tajikistan’s economy have amounted to some 15 million U.S. dollars over the first nine months of 2011.
According to data of the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan, a two-way trade between Tajikistan and Iran valued at US$204 million in 2011. This consisted of Tajikistan’s exports to Iran estimated at US$43 million and Tajikistan’s imports from Iran worth US$161 million.
We will recall that numerous nations and multinational entities have imposed sanctions against Iran. Sanctions commonly bar nuclear; missile and certain military exports to Iran; investments in oil, gas and petrochemicals; exports of refined petroleum products; business dealings with the Iranian Republican Guard Corps; banking and insurance transactions, including with the Central Bank of Iran; and shipping. The United States imposed sanctions on Iran following the Islamic revolution of 1979, while more recent rounds of sanctions by the U.S. and other entities were motivated by Iran”s alleged nuclear weapons program.
