DUSHANBE, September 8, 2012, Asia-Plus – Tajik Ambassador to Belarus Qozidavlat Qoimdodov told reporters in Minsk on September 7 that foreign ministries of Tajikistan and Belarus are currently preparing Tajik president’s visit to Belarus scheduled for 2013.
Qoimdodov also noted that Belarusian Minister of Education Sergey Maskevich would visit Tajikistan in the near future.
The purpose of the visit is for the Belarusian minister to attend an official opening of the faculty of Belarus National Technical University at Tajik Technical University.
The Belarusian news agency, BelTA, reports that Tajik diplomat also noted during the news conference that Tajikistan ought not to be in a hurry to join the Customs Union of Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan.
According to him, without laying an appropriate economic foundation Tajikistan may lose from US$400 million to US$500 million by joining the Customs Union.
Mr. Qoimdodov also noted that the sides had studied all necessary documents for assembling Belarusian tractors in the south of Tajikistan.
After the project is launched, Tajikistan will assembly annually 250 tractors and by 2017, the joint venture’s capacity will be increased to 1,500 tractors per year, Ambassador Qoimdodov noted.
According to him, the work on supplying rock haulers such as BelAZs and MAZs to Tajikistan is going on.
Some 1,000 Belarusian rock haulers and earthmoving equipment have reportedly been delivered to Tajikistan in recent years. The Tajik side is currently considering the issue of opening service centers for BelAZs at the site for construction of the Roghun hydroelectric power plant (HPP).
Tajikistan is expected to import 1,140 agricultural machines from Belarus this year and more than half of them have already been supplied to Tajikistan, Mr. Qoimdodov said, noting that the sides are also expanding bilateral cooperation in the agrarian sector.
Over the past five years, trade between Tajikistan and Belarus has reportedly increased nearly three times. A two-way trade between Tajikistan and Belarus in January-June 2012 has valued at US$44 million. This consisted of Tajikistan’s exports to Belarus estimated at US$4 million and Tajikistan’s imports from Belarus worth US$40 million.
