Asian Development Bank (ADB) Director General for Central and West Asia Eugene Zhukov has reaffirmed ADB’s support for Tajikistan’s development priorities in a series of meetings with senior government officials.
According to ADB Tajikistan Resident Mission (TJRM), Mr. Zhukov met with the Prime Minister of Tajikistan Qohir Rasoulzoda, First Deputy Prime Minister and ADB Governor Davlatali Said, and other senior officials during his first official visit to the country on November 13–16.
“For 23 years, ADB has partnered with Tajikistan to improve the lives of the Tajik people,” said Mr. Zhukov. “The country has made significant development progress but challenges remain, including recovering from the pandemic, and the need to transform Tajikistan into a better destination for domestic and foreign private investors, and the critical and urgent task of climate change. We reaffirm our full commitment to helping Tajikistan fulfill its development potential.”
Mr. Zhukov reportedly also visited ADB-supported education, energy, disaster risk management, and road projects, and met with development partners.
ADB’s country partnership strategy for Tajikistan, 2021–2025 supports government efforts to increase productivity, mobilize private investments—and ultimately improve the quality of Tajikistan’s economic growth. ADB’s three strategic priorities in Tajikistan are to support structural reforms to enhance resource allocation and mobilization; improve labor productivity through human capital development; and foster better livelihoods through investments in a land-linked economy.
Since Tajikistan joined ADB in 1998, the Bank has become Tajikistan’s largest multilateral development partner with more than $2.2 billion in assistance, including around $1.7 billion in grants. This has helped develop strategic road and energy infrastructure, promote food security, and strengthen social services.
In June, ADB approved a $25 million grant to help Tajikistan procure and deploy COVID-19 vaccines and strengthen the country’s vaccination program.
ADB’s 2021 grant assistance to Tajikistan also supports the modernization of irrigation and drainage infrastructure.
In 2022, ADB plans to support projects to further improve road and energy sectors, enhance the financial sector, and develop Dushanbe urban water supply and sanitation services.
Established in 1966, the Asian Development Bank is owned by 68 members—49 from the region.
