DUSHANBE, April 15, 2013, Asia-Plus – According to the British Embassy in Dushanbe, the first-ever UK trade mission is arriving in Tajikistan today.
Multi-sector trade mission is visiting Dushanbe for a high level program of meetings with the Tajik government, donors and private sector.
The mission reportedly consists of nine companies working in services, construction of infrastructure projects, supplying goods and equipment, steel bridging and IT sectors.
The missioners are intent on exploring the trade and investment opportunities in Tajikistan and cooperation with Tajik government, businesses and the development community. The mission will be led by Nigel Peters, Director of British Expertise and The Central Asia & Trans-Caucasus Business Information Group (CATBIG).
The missioners will meet with Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Sharif Rahimzoda, State Advisor to the Tajik President for Economic Matters, Farrukh Hamraliyev and Head of the State Committee for Investments and State-owned Property Management, Davlatali Saidov.
Missioners also hope to meet with a wide range of Tajik ministries, private businesses and donor community in order to better understand how to develop their businesses here. The companies will also present their goods and services to Tajik partners.
British Ambassador to Tajikistan said: “I am delighted to welcome the first ever UK Trade Mission to Dushanbe. This represents an important step in our strategy to raise awareness of Tajikistan amongst the UK business community. I very much hope missioners identify concrete business opportunities to the benefit of both our countries and return to the UK as Business Ambassadors for Tajikistan.”
Nigel Peters, Director of British Expertise and CATBIG said: “I am delighted to be leading the first UK trade mission to Tajikistan. I visited Tajikistan in 2010 for an EU organized business conference, and returned last September at the invitation of the British Embassy to write a report on the business opportunities for UK companies. This trade mission is a follow-up to the opportunities identified in that report.
We have a good group of companies on the mission, with interests ranging from insurance services through to design, management and construction of infrastructure projects, and supplying goods and equipment. The UK companies are all looking to work with Tajik companies, and in the long term may establish local companies with them. I will also be keeping a look out for opportunities for the companies that are unable to be personally represented.”
The mission is reportedly an important aspect of British embassy’s commitment to support Tajikistan’s desire for economic development and follows visit to Tajikistan by UK Trade and Investment and British Expertise to identify opportunities for UK companies and potential cooperation. It also follows the publication of an embassy sponsored report
Tajikistan: Business Opportunities for UK Companies
.
List of companies of the first UK Trade Mission to Tajikistan: Nigel Peters –
WYG International
; Geoff Swainson –
Eagle Scientific
; William Kersley and Soran Seyedi –
Kay International Plc
; Carlos Arias –
Mabey Bridge
; Wim Verheugt –
Mott MacDonald
; Pavel Mukhin –
SRK Consulting
; Chris Pearson, Daniela Vassileva –
Unit Export Limited
; Nadezda Viknyanskaya –
Colvir
; and Gregor Mowart –
KPMG
.
Meanwhile, the Tajik MFA information department reports that Mr. Leigh Turner, HM Consul-General Istanbul and Director-General of Trade for Turkey, Central Asia and the South Caucasus, will arrive in Dushanbe on April 18 on a three-day visit.
According to data of the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan, trade between Tajikistan and the United Kingdom last year valued at more than US$25 million, which was 4.4 times more than in 2011. This consisted of Tajikistan’s exports to the United Kingdom estimated at US$291,000 (little more than one percent) and Tajikistan’s imports from the United Kingdom worth US$24.709 million.
