The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has appointed Ms. Rika Ishii as the Bank’s new Head of Office in Tajikistan. She will be based in the country’s capital, Dushanbe, and is due to take up her duties on September 1, 2021, according to EBRD resident Office in Dushanbe.
Ms. Ishii said: “I am very excited to return to Central Asia, where I used to work before. The EBRD has been very active in Tajikistan in recent years, promoting better access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises, supporting women entrepreneurs and upgrading essential infrastructure. I would like to use my skills and experience to enhance our engagement with the country.”
A Japanese national, Ms. Ishii joined the Bank in 1997 and served as Senior and Lead Sector Economist for a number of economies in which the EBRD invests. Most recently, she covered the Western Balkans as Lead Regional Economist, based in Belgrade.
Ms. Ishii succeeds Mrs. Ayten Rustamova, who has been appointed Regional Head of the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
“I am very pleased to stay in Central Asia, where I have been working for the past four years. The need for EBRD knowledge and resources I am about to share has grown significantly in the post-COVID-19 environment in the countries. I will work closely with partners in all countries to promote green, inclusive, digital and life-changing projects that will help make all of these economies more resilient. This is a challenge that I am really looking forward to,” Ayten Rustamova commented on her appointment.
Ayten Rustamova will replace Neil McKain, who is returning to the Bank’s headquarters in London.
Ayten Rustamova is a citizen of Azerbaijan. She joined the EBRD in 2001 and held various positions at the Baku office of the bank. In 2017, she became the head of the EBRD in Tajikistan. Ayten Rustamova holds a master’s degree in foreign languages from the Azerbaijan State University of Languages and a master’s degree in international business from Khazar University (Azerbaijan) in partnership with Georgia State University (Atlanta, USA).
To date, the EBRD has invested €765 million through 144 projects in Tajikistan’s economy.
