On Monday April 29, President Emomali Rahmon received the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Ms. Odile Renaud-Basso.
The Tajik president’s official website says the parties discussed the process of implementation of the EBRD-funded projects in various economic and social fields of the country, especially in strengthening the financial system, development of the private sector, transport, energy, water supply and improving the quality of communal services.
Emomali Rahmon reportedly thanked the management of the Bank for continuous and beneficial relations during 30 years of cooperation and stressed that "We value the current level of cooperation with the Bank and we rely on it for the achievement of the highest goals of the country's development."
In connection with the adverse effects of external factors on some macroeconomic indicators of Tajikistan and supporting the resilience of the economy to today's threats and risks, it was considered necessary, first of all, to attract more capital and continue the reform process, according to the Tajik president’s official website.
It was emphasized that the allocation of grants and preferential loans by development partners to support the reform process, the national budget and the implementation of priority projects in general leads to the stability of social and economic development.
Support to the progress of industry, agriculture, mining, development of urban infrastructure, especially drinking water supply system, housing and communal economy, digitization of various sectors of the economy, introduction of “green” technologies, as well as education and labor migration were mentioned as other areas of cooperation.
The EBRD is a multilateral bank that promotes the development of the private sector and entrepreneurial initiative in 38 economies across three continents. The Bank is owned by 71 countries as well as the EU and the EIB. EBRD investments are aimed at making the economies in its regions competitive, inclusive, well-governed, green, resilient and integrated.
In 2023, the EBRD marked 30 years since Tajikistan joined the Bank. EBRD activities in Tajikistan cover all sectors, including energy, infrastructure, financial sector, corporates and SMEs, reaching 947 million euros in 168 projects.
The EBRD’s operational and strategic priorities in Tajikistan are based on the following three pillars: 1) strengthening the competitiveness of businesses and improving the business environment; 2) fostering regional integration, energy reform and infrastructure connectivity; and 3) supporting wider access to better infrastructure and business services for women, young people and underdeveloped regions.
