Foreword I am delighted to introduce this special edi- tion of the ECO Chronicle on the Republic of .

The Republic of Tajikistan, one of key Member States of the ECO, has been fully committed to the principles and objectives of the ECO. In its bid to open up to the outside world and as a manifestation of its urge to revive its historic affinities with the peoples of the region, the ECO was one the first regional organizations that Tajikistan joined at the dawn of its independence along with five other Central Asian Republics and Afghanistan.

Under the excellent leadership and com- mendable support of the President of Republic of Tajikistan, H.E. , Tajikistan has successfully implemented a series of national initiatives for achieving macroeconomic stability and sustainable socio-economic development. This present issue of ECO Chronicle presents a snapshot of various aspects of the national development of Tajikistan as well as its active role in the activities of the ECO to con- tribute effectively to the regional economic development.

As the Chairman of the ECO from April 2018 to November 2019, Tajikistan adhered firmly to promoting regional cooperation among countries of ECO. ECO has come a long way since the 23rd Council of Ministers (COM) Meeting held in 2018 Dushanbe, Takikistan. During Chairmanship of Tajikistan, we have made remarkable progress in our activities and initiatives for fostering regional socio-economic develop- ment. Particularly, I would like to mention the lead role of Tajikistan in finalizing the ECO's comprehensive reform process aimed at increasing the sense of ownership among all Member States and enhancement of efficiency of the organization.

I would like to express my gratitude to the Government and people of Tajikistan for their enduring support to the ECO in pursuit of the com- mon agenda of the regional development as well as the cherished goals that are envisaged in the Treaty of Izmir and ECO vision 2025. I shall particularly count on the continued assistance and kind guidance of the Permanent Representative of Tajikistan at ECO, H.E. Ambassador Nizomiddin Zohidi in achieving the organization's objectives under his Chairmanship of the Council of Permanent Representatives.

Dr. Hadi Soleimanpour ECO Secretary General CHRONICLE ECO 1 2 ECO CHRONICLE Opportunities...... 8 Organization: Challengesand Republic ofTajikistan...... 6 sworn inasPresidentofthe Organization...... 4 Economic Cooperation 4-56 2-3 ECO SecretaryGeneralmet Economic Cooperation H.E. Mr. EmomaliRahmon Tajikistan andthe Contents Articles CONTENTS ...... 20 with theECO...... 16 Economy andCooperation Economic Development.....15 Tajikistan's Ministerof Minister...... 14 Foreign meets withtheTajikistan's Guliston City, Tajikistan...... 12 with theTajik Presidentin Dushanbe theCityof NAWRUZ INTAJIKISTAN Tajikistan's Contemporary Meeting ofECOSGand ECO SecretaryGeneral Tourism...... 42 ECO MinisterialMeetingon Sector inTajikistan...... 34 Development...... 30 and Prospectsforfurther of TTCC...... 28 Railway CommitteeMeeting Railway Authorities/8th Meeting oftheHeads Friendship andPeace...... 24 Intensive industrialization Tajikistan hostedthe3rd Development ofTourism Energy SectorinTajikistan Dushanbe hoststhe14th to ECO...... 52 Zohidi, Tajikistan's Permanent Representative Economic Indicators...... 48 ...... 44 in Tajikistan asafourthNationalStrategicGoal Secretariat necessarily thoseheldoragreedbytheECO publication providedbywriters/authorsarenot Interview withAmbassadorNizomiddin Republic ofTajikistan -Key Statisticsand The viewsexpressedanddatacontainedinthis Disclaimer: . Economic CooperationOrganization Economic CooperationOrganization Republic ofTajikistan inTehran. in cooperationwithEmbassyof In TheNameOfGod Tel Kamranieh St.,Tehran-Iran Fax Patron &Supervision P.O.Box ECO SecretaryGeneral chronicLE No.1, GolbouAlley, \ http://www.eco.int Graphic Design Dr. Soleimanpour \ (+98-21) 22831733-4 Published by Tehran(I.R. Iran) Kia Saadatmand Published by (+98-21) 22831732 0912 3210716 ECO Front Cover 22292066 Address \ 14155-6176

3 ECO CHRONICLE Messages

A Special Message by the President of the Republic of Tajikistan H.E. Emomali Rahmon

t is our common task to explore approaches and methods of effective cooper- ation meeting the interests Iand desires of our people and ensuring their enforcement with- in the Economic Cooperation Organization.

Facilitation of stronger and deeper integration, vitalization of mutual support, and the expansion of trade and investment as key pillars of regional cooperation are among

Tajikistan and the Economic Cooperation Organization CHRONICLE ECO 4 Messages the aspects we need to Middle East. and creative role the acknowledge as our strate- At the initiative of the Economic Cooperation gic goals. Republic of Tajikistan and Organization plays by proactive support of the updating and improving this We can link the sea and ECO member states, the institution's agenda. Our landlocked countries by United Nations adopted its renewed organization establishing transport corri- important resolution should be strong and practi- dors with the use of our "International Decade of cal, with the ability to react own resources, thereby fos- Action: Water for immediately and appropri- tering the process of eco- Sustainable Development ately to socio-economic nomic growth and address- ing social challenges within the organization.

Currently, from our per- spective, it is high time to develop and implement a comprehensive program for collaboration and mutual support between the ECO member states on emergen- cies within the organization.

I have no doubt that the expansion of tourism coop- eration framework between the ECO member states would serve as another influential driver for sustain- able development of our countries and as an effec- tive tool for strong people- to-people relations. Regional cooperation still remains a vital objective for the establishment of peace (2018-2028)." I believe that phenomena and processes and stability in Afghanistan the Economic Cooperation in its region of operation. and the entire region. In Organization will play a this context, Tajikistan wel- proactive role in the imple- The Republic of Tajikistan comes engagement of its mentation of the plans of was and will remain dedi- close neighbor - Afghanistan action within this new initia- cated to the Economic into the regional integration tive and make its decent Cooperation Organization's processes. Afghanistan is input towards achievement approaches and objectives, located in the Eurasian of the objectives related to and stands ready to upgrade crossroad and can serve as water resources as well. and improve its level and a transit centre to boost quality of engagement with- trade cooperation between In our view, it is important in the organization's activi- Europe, Asia and the to strengthen the unifying ties. CHRONICLE ECO 5 News in ECO

H.E. Mr. Emomali Rahmon Sworn in as President of the Republic of Tajikistan

ECO H.E. Mr. Emomali Rahmon and directions of development. The Head of CHRONICLE inaugurated as President of state, in particular, noted that within the next the Republic of Tajikistan in a ceremony that seven years, "we must achieve complete took place at the Great Hall of the Kokhi energy independence, come out of transport Somon Palace on October 30, 2020. H.E. deadlock and turn Tajikistan into a transit Mr. Emomali Rahmon is re-elected in the country due to effective use of national Presidential Election held on October 11, resources and all opportunities we have." 2020 with a vast majority of 90.92 "During this period, percent of the votes. we must move closer to another strategic The Sign of the goal - ensuring food President of the security and speeding Republic of Tajikistan up the process of was presented to H.E. industrialization that Mr. Emomali will allow creating Rahmon, under the hundreds of thou- Constitution of the sands of new jobs Republic of Tajikistan. and reducing labor migration," President The Chairmen of said. National Assembly and the Assembly of He also pointed to Representatives Mr. the necessity of Rustam Emomali and improving the level Mr. Mahmadtoir and quality of life of Zokirzoda opened a joint session devoted to people due to expanding implementation of the inauguration ceremony of the President the National Development Strategy of of the Republic of Tajikistan. Tajikistan designed for the period up to 2030, "because every citizen of the country H.E. Mr. Emomali deserves a decent life." Rahmon addressed the participants of the inauguration ceremony with a keynote "Within the next seven years, we must dou- speech, in which he outlined the main ways ble the country's gross domestic product CHRONICLE ECO 6 News in ECO

(GDP) growth rate, increase middle class Armed Forces to begin the oath taking cere- percentage to 45 percent and reduce pover- mony and the military parade. ty rate to 15 percent," the head of state After his greetings, President Rahmon deliv- noted. ered a speech where he noted that an oath Later the same day, as the President of of commanders, officers, soldiers and mili- Tajikistan and the Supreme Commander-in- tary personnel is an ancient tradition of a Chief of Tajikistan's Armed Forces, H.E. Mr. national state system and illustration of Emomali Rahmon attended a wreath-laying responsibilities of military personnel in ceremony under the Monument of National defence of the homeland, state and nation. Unity and Revival of Tajikistan, where the Armed Forces gave their oath to their The ceremony concluded with the march- Commander-in-Chief in the Dusti Square to ing of 8,000 officers and soldiers of the mark his inauguration. Armed Forces and service personnel of other military and law enforcement agencies. A Minister of Defence, Sherali Mirzo, report- 30-gun salute was fired to mark the occa- ed on the readiness of the branches of the sion. CHRONICLE ECO 7 Articles

A Special Article by H.E. Sirojiddin Muhriddin Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan Economic Cooperation Organization: Challenges and Opportunities

ooperation within the into the world economy in a more harmo- framework of regional eco- nized way making use of their comparative nomic organizations or advantages. groupings has acquired a Cspecial importance as it facilitates The Republic of Tajikistan has always advo- the integration of the countries cated and is committed to the progressive CHRONICLE ECO 8 Articles development of regional cooperation and the share the same religion and aspi- achievement of economic prosperity based ration. Nothing can justify the on mutual cooperation. need for a joint effort towards prosperity and growth for our We regard the regional cooperation as an countries than these commonali- essential element of national development. ties. Building and strengthening regional coopera- tion remains among the top priorities of our Since ancient times, our region foreign policies. In view of this, the latest has been the crossroads of world Foreign Policy Concept of Tajikistan that was civilizations. ECO is a valuable adopted in 2015 pays a special attention to instrument for regional economic multilateral diplomacy, including Economic development. Since its accession, Cooperation Organization. my country has been fully com- mitted to the principles and tar- The Economic Cooperation Organization is gets envisioned by the ECO and one of the first regional organizations that will continue its constructive Tajikistan joined at the dawn of its independ- cooperation and partnership with ence. We are firmly committed to the pro- the member countries. Tajikistan gressive development of regional coopera- tion and interested in the development and strengthening of the ECO as an authoritative regional platform.

Personally I am of the view that ECO should focus on development of those main areas of cooperation which the Organization was established for. The com- mon historical, geographical and cultural ties, and mutual aspiration of our peoples for prosperity and peace, brought us togeth- er in this forum, where we have to work towards fulfilling objectives. We consider ECO as a unique multinational economic platform that unites us under this common vision. Our organization, the membership of which covers nearly 8 million square kilo- hosted many events at different meters and represents a population of almost levels including summit and a half billion people, possesses a great eco- Council of Ministers, as well as nomic potential. Our region, with its vast nat- other sectoral ministerial meet- ural resources and dynamic work force, holds ings. great developmental promise and potential that we must fully utilize in the interests of Tajikistan hosted the 23rd our people and future generations. The ECO Meeting of the ECO Council of region enjoys an incomparable geographical Ministers (COM) on 17th April location as a corridor between large markets 2018. The Meeting was attend- and an abundance of rich and varied energy ed by the delegations from all resources. ECO Member States, observers and representatives of ECO Member States are the heir of a great International Organizations. and magnificent civilization. ECO countries Excellent arrangements were CHRONICLE ECO 9 Articles

made and constructive delibera- strengthening cultural and humanitarian ties. tions were conducted in an effi- cient manner during the meeting. Tajikistan is fully committed to further The Meeting concluded with the strengthening the comprehensive cooperation adoption of number documents in trade, investment, energy, transport and of vital importance for the bloc. communication, industry, agriculture, environ- Protocols amending the Statute of ment and tourism sectors with the other ECO Regional Institute for member states. Standardization, Conformity Assessment, Accreditation and The strategic geography and abundant natu- Metrology Dushanbe ral resources provide ECO enormous potential Communiqué, New ECO for regional integration. Regional cooperation Advocacy Programme for and integration has the potential to support Afghanistan were amongst them. sustainable development and growth, as well as infrastructure to support sustainability and Republic of Tajikistan attaches resilience. great importance to multifaceted relations and ensuring the effi- But, the future economic and social integra- ciency, effectiveness and visibility tion of the sub-region depends on how eco- of our Organization. We are satis- nomic corridors can be operationalized by fied with the existing level of creating regional production and value chains, cooperation in trade, transit and as well as new industries to revitalize transport, tourism, as well as the economies and their trade with diversification CHRONICLE ECO 10 Articles

and job creation. Access to the sea should be ECO Ministerial Meeting on offered to landlocked countries. Regional con- tourism held on 4 October 2019 nectivity, especially transport links are critical in . for further integration of ECO. Today, like many other regions Low level of intra-regional trade within the and countries, ECO States have region is a matter of concern. Unlocking the also been affected by the full potential of ECO's members will require COVID-19 pandemic. In order to more trade and investment agreements and mitigate the negative impacts of facilitation mechanisms and windows. ECO such a crisis, besides national members at this point have more trade and measures, we have to attach spe- investments agreements with non-ECO mem- cial attention to multilateral bers than with their regional organizations measures in the framework of partners. regional organizations like ECO.

ECO Member states possess vast potential The task before ECO in nowa- for development of regional tourism. The days is not an easy one. expansion of cooperation in tourism sector is However, it is the time that amongst the priorities of the Organization, demands transformation. I am which is envisaged as important objective for confident that with commitment ECO under the ECO Vision 2025. Dushanbe and ownership of Member States, city has been proclaimed as a ECO tourism ECO is a right platform to realize capital for the years of 2020 -2021 at the 3rd our shared destiny. CHRONICLE ECO 11 News in ECO

ECO Secretary General met with the Tajik President in Guliston City, Tajikistan

ECO The Secretary ters related to reform process and the implementa- CHRONICLE General of the tion ECO Trade Agreement (ECOTA). ECO, H.E. Dr. Hadi Soleimanpour While describing reform as a mean to the enhance- met with the President of the ment of the efficiency of the Organization, the Republic of Tajikistan, H.E. Secretary General briefed the Tajik President that the Emomali Rahmon, at the Guliston Organization is undergoing structural reforms which city of Sughd Province of Tajikistan are currently under deliberation at the ECO Council on August 21, 2019 to discuss the of Permanent Representatives (CPR). On the ECO possibilities for the enhancement Trade Agreement (ECOTA), Dr. Soleimanpour added of regional tourism, ensuring that in order to facilitate further economic coopera- peace, security and stability in the tion within the region; the ECOTA Cooperation neighboring countries of Council is amending the 2003 Free Trade Agreement Afghanistan as well as the country's to reflect the new realities of the region. socio-economic development. The Secretary General proposed that next ECO The two sides discussed the mat- ministerial meeting on Economy could be convened CHRONICLE ECO 12 News in ECO in Tajikistan that could serve as a catalyst for promo- Appreciating the efforts made by tion of further economic cooperation in the ECO the Secretary General and his Region. team, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan expressed The Secretary General informed the President that satisfaction over the existing coop- the Organization is committed to railway transport eration in trade, transit and trans- corridors and is focusing on transforming the transit port policy as well as the strength- corridors of the region into economic ones, and ening cultural and humanitarian seeks to facilitate more connectivity between land- ties. locked Member States to the seaports of the ECO He emphasized on Tajikistan's region as envisaged in the Turkmenbashi commitment to further strengthen- Declaration, he added. ing the comprehensive coopera- tion in trade, investment, energy, The Secretary General said that the valuable expe- transport and communication, rience gained from the Central Asia-South Asia industry, agriculture, environment power project commonly known as CASA-1000, and tourism sectors with the other could effectively contribute to the implementation ECO member states. of the ECO Regional Electricity Market project. Welcoming the selection of While welcoming the initiative of Tajikistan`s Dushanbe as ECO's tourism capi- President in declaring 2019-2021 the "Years of Rural tal, the President expressed opti- Development, Tourism and Folk Crafts", Dr. mism that the forthcoming ministe- Soleimanpour explained that the arrangements rial meeting on tourism would give required for the meeting of ECO Tourism Ministers an effective impetus to the devel- scheduled to be held in Khujand city on October 3- opment of tourism sector in the 4, 2019 are underway within the Secretariat. ECO Member States. CHRONICLE ECO 13 News in ECO

ECO Secretary General meets with the Tajikistan's Foreign Minister

ECO Foreign Minister of the Republic briefed Minister of Foreign Affairs CHRONICLE of Tajikistan Mr. Sirojiddin on the activities of the Organization Muhriddin met with the Secretary-General of the during the Chairmanship of Economic Cooperation Organization Dr. Hadi Tajikistan. Soleimanpour on 5 October 2019 in Dushanbe. The Foreign Minister of Tajikistan appreciated the existing level of During the meeting, the two sides discussed a regional cooperation in various number of issues of bilateral cooperation fields and reiterated the Tajikistan's between the Republic of Tajikistan and the commitment to further strengthen- Economic Cooperation Organization in trade and ing the comprehensive cooperation investment, transport and communications, ener- in trade, investment, energy, trans- gy and environment, industry and technology, port and communication, industry, agriculture and tourism. agriculture, environment and tourism sectors with the other ECO At the meeting, the ECO Secretary-General member states. CHRONICLE ECO 14 News in ECO

Meeting of ECO SG and Tajikistan's Minister of Economic Development

ECO The Secretary CHRONICLE General of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), H.E Dr. Hadi Soleimanpour met with Minister of Economic Development and Trade of the Republic of Tajikistan, H.E. Nematullo Hikmatullozoda to dis- cuss the latest development on economic and trade cooperation in the region.

During the meeting of August 22, 2019, the Tajik Minister underlined the great human and natural poten- 20 years since the signing of the said agreement, tial in the region as well as the its full implementation has yet to take place. importance of its efficient utiliza- Given the current realities, it is necessary to re- tion for the progress and prosperity consider the ECOTA Trade Agreement, he said. of the ECO nations. He also under- scored the continuity of Tajikistan's Referring to ECO's priority areas within the relations with the Organization, Vision-2025, the Secretary General of the ECO adding that the ECO's chairmanship underlined the necessity for strengthening eco- of Tajikistan coincided with an nomic, trade, financial and investment ties important span of time. amongst the Member States. Mr. Soleimanpour also encouraged Tajikistan to consider becoming Referring to the ECOTA Trade a member of the he ECO Trade and Agreement, Mr. Hikmatullozoda Development Bank (ECO-TDB) which was estab- noted that despite the passage of lished on August 3, 2005 in Istanbul. CHRONICLE ECO 15 Tajikistan's Contemporary Economy and Cooperation with the ECO

he implementation growth of the country. of the President Rahmon's initiatives Since its independence, on national econom- Tajikistan has implemented Tic reforms particularly the a series of national eco- enhancement of invest- nomic reforms by transfer- ment opportunities, sup- ring a target-based econo- port to the private sector, my to the market one and and activities on develop- has undertaken various ment of priority sectors important steps in this made a positive impact direction, such as adoption on the development of Tajikistan of a number of laws and regulations, and and created a favorable environ- defining and regulating economic relations. ment for sustainable economic The emergence of different forms of owner- CHRONICLE ECO 16 Papers ship, creation of various economic activities, The Strategic papers, local develop- privatization of public property, introduction ment and sector-specific programs of national currency, liberalization of pricing, define the country's industrial priori- establishment of joint ventures, ensuring free ties in terms of establishment of new foreign trade and addressing priority social production capacities in the regions issues are few important steps for strengthen- based on availability of raw materials ing Tajikistan's economy. and agricultural products. The Government's policy focusing on More comprehensive and targeted economic economic integration with the inter- reforms started in the mid-90s, which made it national community made it possible possible to avoid decline in production and to expand Tajikistan's economic and ensure sustainable economic development. trade relations based on the princi- Consistent implementation of institutional reforms in important public sectors, particular- ly in governance, finance, banking, real sec- tors of the economy, as well as in education, health, and social security through develop- ment and implementation of a number of socio-economic development programs, and undertaking effective measures contributed to the overall development of the country's econ- omy.

Currently, the Tajik industry is equipped with a comprehensive developed framework and technical infrastructure, and covers various sectors. The sector represents more than 90 kinds of production and more than 140 vari- eties of products covering mineral extraction and processing, coal mining, light and chemi- cal industry, engineering, metal processing, construction materials and food industry.

The Government of Tajikistan constantly attaches a particular importance to accelera- tion of industrial development and its sustain- ability, comprehensive institutional reforms, establishment of private enterprises with mobilization of domestic and foreign invest- ples of mutually beneficial coopera- ment to improve economic efficiency, and tion. Consequently, the international introduce technical and technological innova- community acknowledged Tajikistan tions in industrial production. Dozens of as a country with open economy. agreements on cooperation between the Accession to the World Trade Government and local as well as international Organization made it possible to companies on establishment of new enterpris- expand Tajikistan's trade and eco- es of metallurgy, cement production and other nomic cooperation, ensure more construction materials, extraction and refining transparent foreign trade, and gradu- of oil and gas, chemical products, and engi- ally overcome administrative and neering and metal processing are signed and technical barriers. successfully implemented. Tajikistan enjoys trade and eco- CHRONICLE ECO 17 Papers

nomic cooperation with 120 coun- intensified the competition in the international tries of the world currently. markets. In this regard, the Government Expansion of its cooperation made it decided within its midterm export strategy to possible to significantly improve for- focus on stronger competitiveness of products eign trade during 30 years of nation- in domestic and foreign markets, and al independence. Effective trade improvement of quality in accordance with reforms, improved legal and regula- the rules and standards of WTO, Eurasian tory framework, reduced administra- Economic Union and other potential markets, tive and technical barriers to trade improvement of packaging and labeling, intro- increased Tajikistan's foreign trade by duction of innovations in export-oriented pro- 33 times during its independence duction and import substitution, arrangement period. The process of diversification of logistic services, transport infrastructure and the quality assurance. Brief information on the socio-economic situation of Tajikistan in 2019

In the context of global economy slowdown and the anticipated global recession, the time- ly anti-crisis actions undertaken by the Government of the country aimed at ensuring macroeconomic stability, the efficiency and transparency of the public sector, social pro- tection and employment, improving the bank- ing system, the investment climate and devel- oping entrepreneurship, supporting SMEs, made it possible to ensure macroeconomic stability, accelerated development of the industrial sector, and expansion of the produc- tion through commissioning of new produc- tion facilities, a steady increase in agricultural production, increase in incomes and improve living standards.

The efficient operation of economic sectors of export-oriented production and made it possible for the country's GDP in real implementation of production devel- terms grown by 7.5%. Thus, its value amount- opment programs in various spheres ed to TJS 77.3 billion and increased by TJS 8.5 of the national economy significantly billion compared to 2018. The economic changed the commodity and geo- growth during this period was achieved due to graphical coverage of the country's an increase of industrial production by 13.6%, exports. The share of finished indus- agricultural production with an increase in trial products, agricultural products, gross output by 7.1%, the volume of trade energy, minerals, and precious increased by 9.0%, and an increase in the vol- stones gradually increased in the ume of paid services sector by 2.9 percent. export structure. In 2019, sixty five investment projects with The political and economic crises the total amount of USD 3.3 billion, of which CHRONICLE ECO 18 Papers

USD 1.8 billion was spent as of January 1, field of environmental protection were under implementation in various sectors and enhancement of cultural dia- of the economy within the State Investment logue for the sake of the regional Program. In addition, a number of other proj- integration. ects with direct and portfolio investments are under process. The Republic of Tajikistan in its for- The service sector also made a positive con- eign policy places a primary empha- tribution to the growth of the economy due to sis on the strengthening fruitful the increased consumer purchasing power as cooperation with the Economic the household income has increased. The Cooperation Organization and total volume of goods turnover in 2019 acknowledges it as a regional organi- increased by 9.0% as compared to 2018 and zation with a specific geostrategic the volume of paid services has increased by 2.9%. The national foreign trade turnover in 2019 increased by 7.1% as compared to the last year having an increase in import deliver- ies by 9.4% and exports by 6.3 percent.

Strategic Plans of Tajikistan

The objective of the National Development Strategy 2030 of the Republic of Tajikistan is to specify Tajikistan's strategic plans. The strat- egy harmonized medium and long-term socio-economic development plans, specified national objectives, and sets forth targets and action plans. This important policy paper specifies the ultimate objective of the country's transition from agrarian to an industrial coun- try.

Tajikistan's Cooperation with Economic Cooperation Organization

The proactive engagement of the Republic of importance and enormous econom- Tajikistan in the Economic Cooperation ic potential. Tajikistan is committed Organization aims to strengthen good neigh- to assist the Organization's activities borliness, facilitation to confidence and friend- particularly the implementation of ship based relations between the member regional economic, trade, transport, states of the organization as well as economic communications and energy proj- and sustainable development in the region. ects. The Republic of Tajikistan with- Tajikistan stands for the stronger authority and in the Economic Cooperation role of the Economic Cooperation Organization also focuses on estab- Organization in the deepening of economic lishment of effective mechanisms to relations, implementation of infrastructural overcome present economic chal- projects and promotion of cooperation in the lenges. CHRONICLE ECO 19 20

ECO CHRONICLE T hard circumstances,itgathered peopleof during thepastcenturies,but inspiteofthe many politicalobstaclesand socialproblems and soforth. of others;creatureandconstructivethought freedom andpeace;appreciatingtheefforts deeds; respectofthenatureandhumans; good thoughts,words,and people thebestidealsoflifesuchas millenniums broughttocontemporaryTajik Nawruz. Peshdadi isthebiggestspringfestivalnamely IN TAJIKISTAN NAWRUZ by Dr. DilshodRahimovResearchInstituteofCultureandInformationTajikistan Celebration ofNawruzencounteredwith The Nowruzwithpassingcenturiesand legends, establishedbyJamshid-i Old Iranianculture,whichaccordingto One ofthemostvividpatterns greatest nationaleventsofTajikistan. he NawruzorNavruzisoneofthe holidays likeNawruz. celebrating ofcertainnational festivalsand At thesametimeSovietpolicy alsorestricted ues likealphabets,languagesandreligions. ing and/orexterminatingthetraditionalval- republics, hadspentmanyeffortsforchang- national identitiesamongthemulti-national Soviet Governmentfearingoftheincreasing under theideologyofSovietUnion.The ered asaconservativereligiouscelebration aged duringtheSovieteraasitwasconsid- During Nawruzwasignoredratherdiscour- was integratedintoculturesofconquerors. nature rebirth,itnotonlywaskept,butalso However, havingconceptsofthepeaceand went underpressureofconquerors. and forgivingtheoffenceofeachother. table offestivalandaccordedtothepeace various classesandsocialstatusaroundthe The historyknowsthatmanytimesNawruz Papers

many rituals and customs related to Nawruz and intro- duced some new festival competitions like exhibition of the traditional dishes, national costume show and Miss Nawruz. Below are some of the rituals and cus- toms which are performed on Nawruz:

Khonaburoron (Clening rooms): One or two weeks before the Nawruz women and their daughters sweep and clean the rooms, spray perfumes, wash curtains and mattress', and etc. They also clean the kitchens and yards, wash tea pots, bowls, plates and kettles. Before the Navruz everything must be clean as new. A new year is coming and the house must be symbolically purified.

Gulgardoni (Bringing new In the late 1980s, the Government of flowers): One of the first customs of the Tajikistan recognized the Nawruz celebration Nawruz performed by children and adult is and declared 21st of March as a Nawruz holi- Gulgardoni. This custom is also called as day. At last, after Tajikistan gained independ- Boychechak ("Snowdrop") in Khujand, Sayri ence on September 9, 1991, Nawruz gained guli lola ("Tulip festival") in , Idi guli national status and is celebrated with all of its (""Red flower festival") in , rituals and customs in the territory of country. , Guli Siyohgush or Seyovush (the Now in Tajikistan people have four-day vaca- flower of Seyavosh or Flower with black ears) tion on the occasion of Nawruz festival and in the southern . The cer- gradually strengthen its magnificence and emony of informing on the coming spring splendor. consists of the following: a group of children and adults go up to hills and pick some flow- On February 23, 2010, the UN General ers like snowdrops, irises, tulips and visit Assembly in its 64th session adopted the houses of the inhabitants in rural villages and Resolution on International Day of Nowruz sing the special congratulatory songs. and declared 21st of March as the International Day of Nowruz. Nawruz was Traditional Nawruz Dishes: Traditional also included in the Representative List of Nawruz dishes are also cooked with different UNESCO as an element of intangible cultural grains and herbs symbolizing the fruitful heritage by 12 countries, including Tajikistan. nature and healthy food. Women in Hisor District cook gandumkucha contained of Having recognized Nawruz as the national ground wheat, beans, peas, sorrel, onion, and traditional festival, Tajik people revived mint, salt and water during the spring cele- CHRONICLE ECO 21 Papers

bration. Other call this dish dalda (Kulab,Yavan), baj (Badakhshan), gouja (Panjakent) and add some other grains and herbs to its recipe.

Sumanak is the most wide- spread and traditional Nawruz food, a sweet pud- ding made from germinated wheat, symbolizing afflu- ence. Two weeks before the celebration small groups of women living in the same vil- lage neighborhood grow grains of wheat in the plates up to a few inches and they bring their germinated wheat to the idgah - celebration yard, where they cook sumanak in a big pot on the celebration day. Cooking sumanak is a hard work that is difficult for one person to handle, because the pot con- tain should be regularly mixed during 15-20 should be injured or offended in the wel- hours. The whole process of preparing come days of next year. Usually elderly peo- sumanak continues 24 hours and therefore ple play a great role in carrying out this cus- young men and women also join the group in tom by mediating between the younger gen- some villages. Women play doira (daf, eration to forgive each other if they had some dafcha)- musical instrument of tambourine offence from anybody and friends. type, and sing folk songs about Nawruz, spring and satiric quatrains, and dance. There Traditional Games: Traditional sport games is a legend that if you welcome the New Year and contests like wrestling, running, buzkashi joyfully you will spend the entire year in the (goat-snatching) are among the entertainment same mood. On one hand, women believe to activities of Nawruz celebration. Alongside this belief, while on the other hand, the social these competitions, non-traditional or mod- function and entertainment part of sumanak ern sport games such as football, basketball, cooking ritual challenges them to the commu- volleyball and tennis contests also take place nity. Women usually start their entertainment in many districts and villages. Children and part of this ritual singing collectively the well- adults hold wrestling, cockfight, egg fight, and known folk song Sumanak dar jush mo other games in the villages. kafcha zanem. However, the most widespread Nawruz Oshtikunoni (reconciliation): Oshtikunoni is contest is considered to be Gushtin that is another custom performed before the New wrestling. Gushtin competition for Nawruz Year. On the eve of Nawruz people should prizes takes place in every village, town, dis- forgive each other, or in other words, nobody trict center and city. Winners are awarded CHRONICLE ECO 22 days. Themainmeaningsof theNawruz, ning ofspringandduringthe Navruzfestival which areusuallyperformed inthebegin- rains, andfolksongsdedicatedtoNavruz, dition oftheNawruz. traditional costumemeansbeinganoldtra- characterized asthesymbolofyearandtheir a typicalcustom,inwhichyoungspousesare bride andgroomintraditionaldressesisalso ing theNawruzcelebration.Theshowof most ofregionsanddistrictsTajikistan dur- Nawruz competitionsareorganizedinthe dishes, dancingandsingingeventsMiss show ofthetraditionalcostumes,national ers andlocalgovernments. and sometimescamel car, andtraditionallyprizeslikebull,horse video player, taperecorder, refrigerator, and with differentprizessuchascarpet,TVset, The Tajik folklorehasmanyrubaees,quat- customs, Besides theabove-mentioned by theprivateorganiz- and socialstatuses. grounds, languages,religions, gender, ages belongs topeopleofdifferent ethnicalback- Navruz isthefestivalwithoutbordersthat themselves asamemberofthesociety. ipating inthesocialgatheringspeoplefeel the nature.Moreimportantly, throughpartic- and expressingtheirtightconnectionwith thetical delight,rememberingtheancestors communication,enjoyment,gettingaes- ing, some linesofpoemaboutNawruz. Almost everysingleTajik poetcomposed Tajik Literaturetopoets ofthemoderntime. ing fromRudaki, theFounder ofthePersian- the favoritethemesofTajik poets,start- many quatrains. ing Nawruzwithfreedomarereflectedin the humanasapartofnature,andidentify- opposing thewinterandspring;considering Nawruz isameanandcauseforgather- The themeofNawruzfestivalisalsoone 23 ECO CHRONICLE 24 ECO CHRONICLE the CityofFriendship Dushanbe and Peace D ing foothillsandlocatedinthelarge embraced bypicturesqueandflower- Republic ofTajikistan, acity broad avenuesandstreets,large cultural complexesandpalaces, of thecapitalembodyurban development traditionsandsustain- ushanbe isthecapitalof able systemofurbanmanagement, industrial enterprises,andacademic citizens. noble traitsofkindness,brother- hood, andhospitalityofthecapital's The grandgatesinfourdirections Construction ofarchitecturaland emerald valleyofaturquoise riverbed. Theterrainofauspi- railways andairservices. cious climateandgeographical location ofthecityhasavery institutions inarelativelyshort long history. country throughhighways, and activities,connectsall parts andregionsofthe Dushanbe, aplaceforliving tive andresidentialbuild- infrastructure, administra- ter alongwithafavorable education andservicecen- large spiritual,scientific, in themodernworld. one ofthestateliestcities formed Dushanbeinto historic periodtrans- The Tajik capitalasa Papers ings constructed with high architectural becoming more comfortable and lovely. art, is a place of landscaping and infra- Nowadays, more than 450 industrial structure development, cleanliness and enterprises of Dushanbe not only supply loveliness, and high standard communica- the city residents, but also export their tion ethics. products beyond the country.

The area of Dushanbe Currently, 24 higher is 127 km2. The city education and 145 sec- with a continental cli- ondary education insti- mate is located in the tutions as well as 135 prolific Hisor Valley at pre-school facilities an altitude of 930 educate 200,000 stu- meters above the sea dents and attendants level on both shores of respectively. Overall, the Dushanbe River. about 900 sports facili- Officially, the popula- ties have been estab- tion of Dushanbe is lished in the city and 900,000. The city con- the number of such sists of four administra- facilities is increasing tive districts namely day by day. Ismoili Somoni, Sino, Firdavsi and Shohmansur. While in 1991 only 30 hospitals provid- Year after year, the city of Dushanbe as ed health services in Dushanbe, now 61 an administrative center of Tajikistan and hospitals and other health facilities offer a mirror of culture-forming Tajik nation, is health services to 900,000 residents and CHRONICLE ECO 25 Papers

other visitors of the capital. One of the world is embodied in the Memorial particular health protection achievements Complex of National Unity and Revival of which Dushanbe city has made in the Tajikistan with Ismoili Somoni Monument independence period is the construction and the statues of worldwide prominent and commissioning of scientists and thinkers the Medical such as Abuabdullo Complex, a unique Rudaki, Abuali ibni centre in Central Asia. Sino, Abulqosim This healthcare com- Firdavsi, Omar plex is equipped with Khayyam, Sadriddin the latest advanced Ayni, Bobojon Gafurov technology. and other celebrities. Verily, Dushanbe as a The construction of scientific and cultural Dushanbe International center of the country Airport's new terminal has become an enabled to provide bet- unprecedentedly devel- ter services to passen- oping and prosperous gers and visitors and city. improve customs con- trol services. One of the globally highest flagpoles with 165 meters of height is erected in Dushanbe is a grand intellectual centre, Dushanbe and it is included in the and its symbol of statehood and spiritual Guinnes World Records. One of the sight- CHRONICLE ECO 26 Papers seeing facilities of the city is "Kohi Navruz" Dushanbe into a platform of large high- Complex, which embodies the national level international and regional summits. flavor of ancient and modern architecture of six thousand year history. Dushanbe enjoys twin-city relations with The city has nine museums, including many cities of the world including the National Museum of Tajikistan, the Klagenfurt (Austria), Boulder (USA), National Museum of Antiquity, the Reutlingen (Germany), Saint-Petersburg Museum of Ethnography, Unified (Russia), Tehran and Shiraz (Iran), Minsk Memorial and Literary House, and house (Belarus), Mazar-e Sharif (Afghanistan), museums of the prominent figures of the Lahore (Pakistan), Sanaa (Yemen), Tajik classic and modern science and cul- Monastir (Tunis), Lusaka (Zambia), Ankara ture. Several theatres such as Abulqosim (Turkey), Ashgabat (Turkmenistan), Lohuti State Academic Drama Theatre, Urumqi, Xiamen, Hainan and Qingdao Sadriddin Ayni State Academic Opera and (China). Ballet Theatre, Mahmudjon Vohidov State Youth Theatre, State Puppet Theatre, The city of Dushanbe is the symbol of Muhammadjon Qosimov Youth Theatre, sovereign Tajikistan and the scientific and the Model Miniatures Theatre "Oina", cin- cultural centre of the ancient Tajik nation emas of "Tojikiston", "Zebunniso", "Vatan", and the pride of every resident of Aka-Sharif Juraev State Philharmonic of Tajikistan, both youngsters and adults. Tajikistan, State Circus of Tajikistan and The individuals and the institutions of 'Ahorun' Amphitheatre glorify spiritual and Dushanbe are making every possible cultural life in Dushanbe. They attract any effort to improve the political, administra- newly coming visitor not only with their tive, scientific and cultural heart of professional performances but also with Tajikistan so that everybody could love their unique architecture. and enjoy it.

There are 20 public libraries with a stock of 3.12 million books and publications functioning in the city. The National Library of Tajikistan is the biggest facility of this kind not only in Dushanbe but also in Central Asia as one of the most beautiful architectural sites in the region. Another attractive point is the establish- ment of public squares, cultural and leisure parks in the city. Nowadays the city has more than 60 parks and squares cov- ering an area of 1080 hectares. The cul- tural and leisure parks of 'Abulqosim Firdavsi', 'Sadriddin Ayni', 'Omar Khayyam', 'Ahmadi Donish', 'Nizomiddin Alisher Navoi', 'Vose', 'Youth Lake', 'Javonon', 'Rudaki', and 'Great Kurush' are favorite places of leisure for residents and visitors of the city.

Tangible social and economic achieve- ments, stable political situation and inter- national recognition have transformed CHRONICLE ECO 27 News in ECO

Dushanbe hosts the 14th Meeting of the Heads of ECO including ESCAP, CHRONICLE Railway Authorities IsDB, ADB, UIC, The Ministry of OTIF and UNECE Transport of Republic contributed to the of Tajikistan hosted meeting by sharing the 14th Meeting of 8th views, suggestions Heads of Railway and constructive pro- Authorities of ECO posals on the better- Member States/8th Railway ment of regional rail- Railway Committee way connectivity, of TTCC (MHRA) common access, and which was held on Committee safety. 20-21 June, 2019 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. In line with the rec- Meeting of ommendations of The First Deputy Turkmenbashi Minister of Transport Declaration adopted of Republic of TTCC by the 9th Meeting Tajikistan H.E. Mr. of Ministers of Sohrab Mirzozoda the inau- High level delegations from Transport of ECO Member gurated the meeting and the ECO Member States States, the meeting welcomed the delegates. updated the meeting on reviewed progress relating Mr. Ahmad Saffari, Director prospective progress on rail- to operationalization of for Transport and way development at nation- existing railway routes by Communications of ECO al land regional levels. completing rehabilitation Secretariat represented the Official representatives of and construction of missing Secretariat in the meeting. International Organizations, links. CHRONICLE ECO 28 News in ECO

Along this path, the meet- agreed to be put up for effects of such zones has ing noted considerable endorsement by the upcom- been emphasized. progress on railway projects: ing meeting of enroute Qazvin-Rasht-Astara countries. The Meeting also agreed to (Azerbaijan)-Astara (Iran) In line with recommenda- cooperate on railway pas- and Islamabad-Tehran- tions of Dushanbe senger transport. Istanbul. Pre-operationaliza- Communiqué (17-18 April Prerequisite arrangements tion steps for the existing 2018, Tajikistan), new ways for the proposed railway railway routes have been of widening the ECO transport mode were quot- developed: (i) on KTI, the regional connectivity by rail ed by Iran, Azerbaijan and need to ensure that the were discussed by the meet- others. The passenger tourist implementation of the ing. From this stance, a new train was said as tested in Study Project on KTI be railway project "Afghanistan- the direction of Mashhad realized timely, in line with Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan- (Iran)-Ashgabat its set schedule was high- China" was also endorsed (Turkmenistan) and those lighted and the Inter- for implementation. ECO countries that have an Governmental Agreement interest in improving their was said to be in place for The need for transforming tourism potentials by trans- endorsing Common ECO's existing railway routes port means were welcomed. Management Mechanism into economic spaces with The participants suggested for the route; (ii) on structured integrated eco- issuing ECO Railway Maps, Istanbul-Almaty & Bandar nomic and free trade hubs Annual Railway Transport Abbas-Almaty routes, no with production sources in Statistical Year Book and sharp issues were revealed ? close proximity with supply compile ECO Railway for regular run of container chains so that railway servic- Directory for the purposes trains and, thus, pre-opera- es could further maximize of information and knowl- tionalization plan was on large scale spillover edge sharing. CHRONICLE ECO 29 30 ECO CHRONICLE E the summerseason.Overall, Tajikistan needs new marketstoexportitssurplus energyin energy shortageinwinterand lookingfor ral andclimaticconditionsexperiencing ance. leading tochangesintheglobalenergybal- developments includingclimatechangeare global economy. Theglobal environmental based onincreasingenergydemandofthe nologies andalternativeenergysources tech- trends onapplicationofenergy-saving ing andaccordinglydoingsotheglobal important taskforthecomingyears. world communitybelievestobethemost Sustainable DevelopmentGoals,whichthe makes itprimedriverinachievingthe three mainpillarsofsustainabledevelopment contribution thatenergycanprovidetothese achieving environmentalsustainability. The Tajikistan isauniquecountrywithitsnatu- The contemporaryworldisrapidlyexpand- tion. Italsoplaysanimportantrolein ensuring thesocialwelfareofpopula- nomic developmentofacountryand nergy isthemaindrivingforceofeco- Energy Sectorin and Prospectsforfurther Tajikistan Development Amu Daryo,Kofarnihon andZarafshon. centrated intheriverbasins ofVakhsh, Panj, country's hydropowerpotential ismainlycon- region withaffordableandcleanenergy. The tion oftheseresourceswouldsupplythe entire CentralAsianRegion.Effectiveutiliza- than thecurrentelectricityconsumptionin hydropower potentialisthreetimeshigher of hydropowerpotential.Tajikistan's Canada, andthe Democratic RepublicofCongo,Indiaand eighth afterChina,Russia, USA,Brazil, currently used.Intheworld,Tajikistan ranks per year, andonly4-5%ofthispotentialis technical termsconstitute317billionKW/h year. Prospectivehydropowerresourcesin resources estimatedat527billionkW/hper renewable energysources. remote andmountainousareasdevelop increase energyconservation,electrify cialization oftheindustry, reducelosses, for sustainablemanagementandcommer- hydropower, introduceeffectivemechanisms to developitsenergycapacity, inparticular, Tajikistan hasabundanthydropower first inCentralAsiaterms Papers

The availability of large hydropower resources set out the agenda of power devel- opment in Tajikistan via construction of hydropower plants. The largest hydropower plants include Norak, which is located in Vakhsh River with an installed capacity of 3000 MW (1972-1979) and average annual power generation of 11.2 billion kW/h, and Boyghozi (1988) with 600 MW of installed capacity and average annual power genera- tion of 2.5 billion kW/h. The Vakhsh River cascade includes a range of plants totaling 285 MW (1962), Varzob River cascade - 25 MW (1936-1949), Syrdaryo River - Kayrokum HPP with an installed capacity of 126 MW (1956) and Khorugh and Pomir facility of Sangtuda-2 HPP with the capacity of HPPs with installed capacity of 36.7 MW 220 MW (358.89 million US dollars), South- (1971-1973) located in the Badakhshan North power systems connection and con- Mountainous Autonomous Region. At pres- struction of second phase of Dushanbe CHP-2 ent, the total installed capacity of Tajikistan's supported by China's ExImbank substantively power system accounts for 6,483 MW. contributed to the power sector development. The contribution of other developments insti- Energy security is also one of the four strate- tutions such as the ADB, World Bank, EBRD, gic objectives of the Government of the IsDB, KfW, Arab Development Funds and oth- Republic of Tajikistan. Consequently, the high- ers helped to substitute the winter energy est priority has been given to the power sector shortage and secured a more sustained power development after the independence of system operation. This effort resulted in the Tajikistan. During this period, significant increased generation capacities by 1320 MW, investments amounting to about 2.6 billion US commissioning of three 500 kV and nine 220 dollars have been raised within 29 large and kV substations as well as the construction of medium projects on generation, transmission, 461.8 km of 500 kV and 675.8 km of 220 kV and improvement of energy supply services. power transmission lines. In this context, the joint Tajik-Russian project Several major substations, high, medium and of Sangtuda-1 HPP with the capacity of 670 low voltage electrical networks were also MW (698.72 million US dollars), Tajik-Iranian rehabilitated and a metering system was intro- CHRONICLE ECO 31 Papers

and distribution. The company has 24 joint- stock energy facilities, ten of which are operat- ing as distribution companies. The Pamir Energy' as the second operator supplies the customers in Badakhshan Mountainous Autonomous Region. The company was estab- lished within the framework of the Concession Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan and JSC 'Pamir Energy'. Under this agreement, the Government of Tajikistan transferred energy assets located in the Badakhshan Mountainous Autonomous Region on concession for a period of 25 years. UNECE included this project to the list of top PPP projects in 2016 for effective manage- duced. These projects not only improved the ment and achievement of the SDGs. Pamir quality and reliability of power supply, but also Energy also won the "2017 International made a significant contribution to establishing Ashden Award" for its work bringing clean, the unified power grid of Tajikistan, and sub- reliable and affordable hydroelectric power to stantially reduced the winter energy shortage the population of the Badakhshan that the country has been experiencing annu- Mountainous Autonomous Region and neigh- ally over the past decades. Since the initial boring Afghanistan. years of independence, the energy shortage was completely removed for the first time dur- Investment in this sector is facilitated by sev- ing the autumn-winter period of 2017-2018. eral factors primarily considering its role in socio-economic development, huge capacity Currently, seven investment projects with a as well as investment attractiveness with a total investment of 1.1 billion US dollars are quick return of capital costs and revenue gen- ongoing and tender for six other projects eration. amounting to 325.7 million US dollars is in Tajikistan is progressively developing the the process. The energy sector has two opera- regional electricity market. In 2019, it export- tors, Joint-stock Holding Company Barqi Tojik ed more than 2.9 billion kW/h of electricity to (Tajik Electricity) and JSC Pamir Energy. The neighboring countries. In this regard, the elec- Barqi Tojik is a monopolist and responsible for tricity transport corridor between energy the major part of generation, transmission, excessive countries of Central Asia and energy CHRONICLE ECO 32 Papers deficit countries of South Asia found to be a Tajikistan also adopted its National beneficial project by international experts. The Development Strategy to 2030 (NDS-2030) implementation of CASA-1000 regional elec- focusing on four strategic development goals: tricity transmission project is a particular case. 1) energy security and efficient use of ener- The transmission line with the total length of gy, 2) country's connectivity and transform it 800km will be installed starting from Sangtuda to a transit country, 3) food security and site (Tajikistan) to Nowshera (Pakistan) through access of the population to proper nutrition, the Afghan territory. The co-financing by the and 4) industrialization and innovative devel- Islamic Development Bank, the World Bank, opment of the national economy. the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and The NDS-2030 particularly sets forth the Development, USAID and DFID will support power sector indicators of 10/10/10/10-500, necessary project infrastructure. The volume which means increase of installed capacity of of electricity available for exportation from the power system up to 10 GW, reduction of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan within the project technical and commercial losses in distribu- estimates for about 5 billion kW/h. seasonally. tion networks to 10%, increase energy export up to 10 billion kW/h, power genera- CASA-1000, a unique project in the region, tion diversification for 10% as well as gener- is expected to serve as a catalyst in the chain ation and energy savings of more than 500 of projects aimed at long-term and stable eco- million kW/h from renewable energy sources nomic growth in the region. The CASA-1000 and application of energy-efficient technolo- is of a simple structure - transmission of sea- gies. sonal surplus electricity during summer to the system with a high demand in energy. The The Government has also initiated the project also has a strong economic compo- energy sector reform with the support of the nent and is designed to facilitate addressing Asian Development Bank with a focus on global environmental challenges since the establishment of an independent power Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan would supply the regulator. The project will facilitate the region with clean and green energy. unbundling process of JSC 'Barqi Tojik' to separate entities for generation, transmission, Besides, in the context of regional coopera- and distribution. The designed restructuring tion, ADB is helping Tajikistan to develop a would be favorable for establishing the regional electricity market. Reconnection to renewable energy market and mobilizing pri- the Central Asian Power System Project vate investments for their further develop- (CAPS) is intended to provide the necessary ment. infrastructure to achieve a full parallel opera- tion between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan's elec- Given the existing favorable environment, tricity grids, meaning the reconnection of investing in the power sector of Tajikistan is Tajikistan to the wider CAPS via Uzbekistan. attractive and sustainable due to several fac- An interconnected power system in Central tors such as direct support of public organi- Asia will benefit all countries, optimize power zations and huge demand for energy domes- use, enhance the regional energy efficiency, tically and beyond. Various cooperation and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. tools are being used in the power sector to collaborate with entrepreneurs and investors Furthermore, special attention is also given like 'build-operate-transfer', 'concession to energy savings and the development of agreement', 'public-private partnership', 'pro- renewable energy sources. The country duction sharing agreement' and so on. adopted the Law on energy efficiency, and Overall, the aforementioned and many other institutional capacity development activities factors make the Tajik power sector attractive are in progress. for investments. CHRONICLE ECO 33 Development of Tourism Sector in Tajikistan Dushanbe as the ECO political events, which introduced the city to the world community as a tourism Tourism Capital for 2020-2021 brand of Tajikistan. The city of Dushanbe was selected as Currently Tajikistan is making its initial the ECO tourism capi- and steady steps in the tal for the years 2020- development of the 2021 by the 3rd ECO tourism sector. In this Ministerial Meeting on process, it is very Tourism held on 2-3 important to study the October 2019 in international experience Khujand. and to promote the country's tourism poten- Dushanbe, the capital tial. of Tajikistan, has become a venue for "Selection of high-level international, Dushanbe as the ECO scientific, cultural and tourism capital for the CHRONICLE ECO 34 Papers

years 2020-2021 is the fruit of the wise tor of the Tajik capital enjoys the sites of and constructive policy pursued by the Dushanbe, its cozy and neat streets, Founder of Peace and National Unity, the flower parks erected in a modern and Leader of the Nation, President of national style, and feels that Dushanbe Tajikistan, H.E. Emomali Rahmon and the has truly turned into a dream city. landscaping and infrastructure develop- ment activities under the leadership of The Strategy for Tourism Development in Dushanbe city's Mayor Rustami Emomali, the Republic of Tajikistan to 2030 high- which have been turning the capital city lights Tajikistan's membership in interna- into an entertainment tourism destina- tional organizations, reputable world tion. tourism organizations and its participation This initiative has been facilitating the in international exhibitions as an impor- development of tourism, improvement tant issue for the country's integration into and promotion of historical sites, antiqui- the world tourism market. Dushanbe city ty and architecture sites, medical treat- was acceded by the World Tourism Cities ment and other facilities in the capital Federation (WTCF) at the World Tourism city". Federation Summit in Qingdao, China in 2018. Some 40 hotels in Dushanbe offer serv- ices to the capital residents as well as An international airport, a modern railway domestic and foreign visitors. Additionally, station, 40 hotels, 75 grand restaurants cultural and leisure parks and colorful mostly serving wedding parties and large fountains in the centre of the capital have celebrations, 113 cafes with cuisine of dif- become places of recreation and festivities ferent nationalities, 26 entertainment cen- for residents and visitors. Today, every visi- tres, 224 cafes with dominated national CHRONICLE ECO 35 Papers

cuisine, 4 national teahouses, 17 parks, 26 2019-2021-A Period of Rural souvenir shops, 4 swimming and recre- ational lakes, 23 ancient monuments, 59 Development, Tourism and medical and preventive facilities, 40 bank- Folk Crafts - a New Phase in ing service points, 17 lodges, 73 libraries Tajikistan's Advancement and museums are operative in With a view to Dushanbe and they reviving the folk meet the everyday crafts and developing needs of hundreds of tourism in Tajikistan, domestic and foreign the Founder of the visitors. National Unity and Peace, the Leader of the Nation, President Dushanbe of the Republic of Central Mosque Tajikistan, H.E. Emomali Rahmon The largest in Central proclaimed the year Asia Dushanbe 2018 as the Year of Central Mosque is development of located in the heart of tourism and folk arts the city. The Mosque is desgined to in the country. One year after, President accommodate up to 120,000 prayers. Rahmon in his Address to the Parliament Tajikistan is now home to the Central of Tajikistan proposed to proclaim the Asian largest mosque. years 2019-2021 as the period of devel- CHRONICLE ECO 36 ment ofdifferenttypes crafts aswell promote therevivaloffolk arts,develop- Leader oftheNationwould definitely ations anddevelopment. towards enlightenment,andnewcre- unique initiativetoguidethesociety of ruralareas,tourismandfolkartsisa 2019-2021 asthePeriod ofdevelopment President Rahmon,proclaimingtheyears Tajikistan, andparticularlybythe tion oftheTajik nationbytheStateof globally prominenthistoryandciviliza- ating thecraftsandcraftsmen and folkartswasthesymbolofappreci- the Year ofdevelopmentruralareas initiative. of Tajikistan welcomedthisconstructive arts. BoththeParliament andthepeople opment ofruralareas,tourismandfolk No doubtthatthisinitiativeofthe While proclaimingtheyear2018as the country'sruralareashave experi- nation. Inaveryshortperiod oftime, sites ofthecivilization-forming Tajik try, theculturalheritage andhistorical far, totheworksofartisans inthecoun- especially foreigntouristsfromnearand folk craftsandattractingothernations, the revivalanddevelopmentofvarious mented projectsthathavecontributedto life. resident ofTajikistan tohaveadecent create favorableenvironmentforevery tion oftheTajik nationtotheworldand introduce theancienthistoryandciviliza- generation toartsandcraftsactivities, create newjobs,encouragetheyoung of ruralareas,tourismandfolkartsisto proclaiming thePeriod ofdevelopment tourism. Originally, theobjectivefrom as developmentandexpansionof Within thisinitiative,Tajikistan imple- living standards. ment ofthepopulation's ness, aswellimprove- neurship andfamilybusi- ment ofprivateentrepre- folk crafts,thedevelop- er tothedevelopmentof which hasbecomeadriv- from alltaxesandfees, folk artisansareexempt the LeaderofNation, tions. Attheinitiativeof the greatnationalaspira- steps towardsachieving ative andhavetakenfirm have becomemorecre- people ofthecountry this vitalinitiative,the ple. Hence,inthelightof living standardsofitspeo- Tajikistan andimprovethe to thedevelopmentof ence havegivenimpetus ing theyearsofindepend- Leader oftheNationdur- all theinitiativesof It shouldbenotedthat 37 ECO CHRONICLE enced positive changes, most of the districts of the country have become a tra- handicrafts that were lost or were on the dition. Jewelry Festival "Learn Crafts", verge of extinction, have been revived, National Festival "Chakomai Gesu" (Chant and tourism, which is one of the most on Swirl), Festival of Folk Crafts "Crafts are lucrative industries in Tajikistan today, Better than Jewelry", Festival "Hundred significantly developed and expanded. Colors of Chakan" (embroidery), National Thousands of people of all ages and pro- Festival "Atlas and Adras" National fessions have been provided with perma- Festival "Oshi Palov" (Pilav), National nent jobs. Festival "Effulgence of Colors": national and modern costumes, Festival of nation- The creative initiatives of the Leader of al dishes, National competitions "Stone the Nation made it possible for the Tajik Decorative Crafts","Tulip and Flower society to make a signifi- cant progress and achieve- ments in various fields, and to improve the repu- tation of the Tajik state and nation in the interna- tional arena. The revival and development of folk crafts has been central for the State and the Government of Tajikistan. Several tourism companies have launched their effec- tive activities in the cities and districts of the country with the initiative and sup- port of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan and local authorities. The Period of development of rural areas, tourism and folk crafts also facilitated commissioning dozens of modern hotels in line with international standards, erecting recreation and treatment centres with the necessary facilities for leisure of tourists Tour", "Dastarkhanoroi" (The best food and foreign visitors in various towns and table design), "Best Cook", "Wood carv- districts, as well as renovating and reha- ing, Plaster Work, Mirror Work and bilitating roads and bringing them in line Kundal making", "Coppersmithing and with international standards. Blacksmithing", "Pottery, Carpentry and Basket Weaving", "Appreciation of Bread On the occasion of the Period of devel- by All" and other activities were held at a opment of rural areas, tourism and folk high level. Holding such competitions crafts, at the initiative of the Ministry of and festivals, on the one hand, promotes Culture, series of festivals and competi- the development of folk crafts, on the tions in the capital and other cities and other hand, can educate the younger CHRONICLE ECO 38 Papers

generation in the spirit of beauty, self- Istaravshan, Panjakent, , awareness and pride with their civiliza- Guliston, Buston, Isfara, Khorog, Bokhtar, tion-forming nation. Kulob, Tursunzoda, Hisor, Vahdat, Rogun, , Rushon, Ishkoshim, Shughnon, The objective of arranging various cul- Bobojon , Mir Said Ali tural events was to Hamadoni, Varzob, facilitate sustainable Rasht, Faizobod, development of folk Shahrituz, Panj and arts, attract tourists to Vose. Indeed, the bet- historical and cultural ter the product, the sites and to promote more it is demanded. the good traditions of Realizing this point, our ancestors. During the owners of these the last two years facilities make efforts dozens of shops of to equip their enter- folk handicrafts, prises with the latest workshops for pro- machines. duction of atlas and adras, as well as Every single resident sewing and weaving of Tajikistan is proud enterprises manufacturing products in that Chakan embroidery was inscribed on line with the current requirement were UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural launched and have been successfully Heritage of Humanity in the Year of operative in several cities and districts of tourism and folk crafts with a valuable the country, including Khujand, contribution by scholars from the State CHRONICLE ECO 39 Papers

Enterprise "Scientific and Research countries, and exempted the importation Institute of Culture and Information" of of equipment and construction materials the Ministry of Culture of Tajikistan in designated for construction of tourism arrangement of documents on this case. facilities from customs duties and taxes On the occasion of this cultural achieve- and exempted brand-new tourism com- ment, the National panies from corporate Festival "Hundred income tax for the Colors of Chakan" first five years of their and the National operation. Festival "Effulgence All these incentives of Chakan" were can contribute to the held at the initiative significant develop- of the Dushanbe ment of tourism and City Municipality in increase the number cooperation with the of tourists visiting relevant ministries Tajikistan. and agencies. We, Tajiks, are With a view to fur- proud of the fact that ther developing the the ancient and civi- tourism industry, in accordance with the lization-forming Tajik nation has made a instructions of the Leader of the Nation, valuable contribution to the develop- the relevant government agencies have ment of human civilization by creating its introduced a simplified electronic visa invaluable and lasting heritage. Noble system for citizens of more than 80 and life-changing initiatives of the Leader CHRONICLE ECO 40 of the Tajik nation also testimony the cre- E-visa System ative native and advanced culture this nation. It is these creative and civiliza- Tajikistan introduced e-visa system for tion-forming initiatives that have led to foreign citizens in June 2016. The the fact that today Tajikistan has Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the deserved its decent rank in the interna- Republic of Tajikistan electronically tional arena, was recognized as one of processes and approves the electronic the top five countries with the simplest visa. visa regime, ranked among the 10 most After the application is reviewed and a attractive countries for tourism was decision is made in favor of applicant, ranked the second country with a rapidly the electronic visa (A4 format) is sent to growing tourism in the world. the applicant via his/her e-mail address. The service receiver needs to print out the electronic visa and take it together with his/her trav- el documents.

The consular fee for the review of an electronic visa application is received via international electronic payments sys- tems such as Visa, Master Card, American Express and Union Pay.

With a view to creating modern facilities for train- ing, further improving the investment climate and encouraging foreign investors investing more than 1 million USD into the economy of Tajikistan, the Tajik Government offers five-year multi-entry visas to foreign investors.

Today Tajikistan is one of the safest Within the initiative on development of countries in the world. Its capital city - rural areas, tourism and folk crafts and Dushanbe - among the world's ten safest with a view to attracting greater number cities for night walking. of tourists, the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan offers the citizens of the countries entitled to simplified Tajik visa multi-entry tourist visas and extended the validity of such a visa to 60 days. CHRONICLE ECO 41 News in ECO

Tajikistan hosted the 3rd ECO Ministerial Meeting on Tourism

ECO The 3rd ECO Secretary General, H.E. Dr. Hadi CHRONICLE Ministerial Meeting on Soleimanpour underscored the impor- Tourism proceeded by the 5th High tance of tourism and its sustainable Level Experts Group (HLEG) on Tourism development within the region. was held on October 3-4, 2019 in The tourism industry has gained a Tajikistan's second-largest city of very positive attention from the Khujand. Member States and has become a prior- ity development field for the coming The meeting was hosted by the decade, he said. The Secretary General Committee of Tourism Development of drew attention to the fact that the the Republic of Tajikistan with the pres- development of the tourism industry ence of delegations from the Islamic throughout the region needs intra Republic of Iran, the Kyrgyz Republic, regional international connectivity the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the through all modes of transportation. Republic of Tajikistan, the Republic of Turkey and the Republic of Uzbekistan. This could ensure comfortable, cheap- In his opening statement ECO er, more accessible and secure travel in CHRONICLE ECO 42 News in ECO

ECO Region, Dr. Soleimanpour said. Member States which could attract The session was inaugurated by the investment in the tourism infrastructure Governor of Tajikistan's Sughd Province, including roads, hotels and hostels. Rajabboy Ahmadzoda, who highlighted the potentials and The meeting progress of the adopted the ECO Republic of Principles for Tajikistan in Tourism Sustainable Tourism Sector and the Development in importance of ECO Region and knowledge sharing the ECO Tourism events in support of Plan of Action. It mutually beneficial also designated cooperation among Tajikistan's city of the Member States. Dushanbe as ECO Tourism Capital for The Chairman of 2020-2021 and the Tajikistan's Iranian cities of Sari Committee of and Ardabil for the Tourism years 2022 and Development and 2023 respectively. chairman of the ses- sion, Numon Abdughafforzoda high- The 4th and 5th ECO Ministerial lighted the achievement of the Republic Meeting on Tourism will be hosted by of Tajikistan during the past few years The Republic of Uzbekistan and Islamic and proposed the inception of a special Republic of Iran respectively in 2020 ECO-tourism investment chain between and 2022. CHRONICLE ECO 43 Papers Intensive industrialization in Tajikistan as a fourth National Strategic Goal

ith a view to implement- announced the intensive industrialization of the ing the Government's country as the fourth national goal. efforts to achieve further prosperity of Tajikistan and To achieve this goal, a draft plan of administrative Wgiven the importance of the indus- and technical actions on industrial development is try in addressing socio-economic being developed. issues and creating new jobs, the The country's industrialists take as their primary task Founder of Peace and National this noble initiative of the Head of State on promo- Unity, the Leader of the Nation, tion of sustainable industrial and innovative develop- the President of the Republic of ment of the country addressed to the Majlisi Oli of Tajikistan, H.E. Emomali Rahmon, the Republic of Tajikistan. in his Address to the Majlisi Oli This initiative of the President of Tajikistan on trans- (Parliament) of the Republic of formation of Tajikistan into an industrial country (the Tajikistan on December 26, 2018, fourth strategic goal) is a logical and bold step in the CHRONICLE ECO 44 Papers context of current global trends of development, of universities that are able to globalization of all aspects of society's activities, train highly qualified profession- given the efforts of advanced countries to develop als. the markets of goods and product as well as the interests of consumer countries. Currently, the industry of Tajikistan covers more than 90 Two main factors - the source of energy and the areas of processing, extraction smooth operation of the transport infrastructure - are and production, and in 2019, the crucial for the country's industrialization. Luckily, two country manufactured products of the three strategic goals set for the Government worth more than TJS 27billion, ensure these factors and provide a solid foundation while its growth rate reached for the achievement of the fourth goal. In announc- 114.4% compared to 2018. In ing the fourth objective, we expressly feel the smart 2019, the volume of manufactur- logical policy pursued by the Leader of the Nation ing products amounted to TJS 15 to transform Tajikistan into an advanced economy. 927,400,000 and it grew by TJS 2,407,400,000 or 117.9% com- pared to 2018.

Tajikistan has a huge potential for the production of high-quality industrial goods and services, increasing exports and gaining a decent position in the global market of goods and services. Last year the country has export- ed goods amounting TJS 11,379,900,000 (USD 1,174,400,000), which is more by TJS 979,600,000 (USD 101,100,000) or 109.4% than in 2018.

One of the most important areas in the country's industrial- ization process is the constant The industry of Tajikistan is in its revival period increase in the share of the pro- now. Further investments, introduction of new cessing sector in the structure of technologies, development of national scientific industrial production. and technical capacity, elimination of barriers between science and production, mobilization and In order to ensure sustainable implementation of advanced foreign technologies, growth of the national economy, formation and improvement of structure and infra- the number of industrial enter- structure, and modernization of fixed assets in the prises is increasing and produc- industry will lead to new growth rates. tion is being adjusted depending on the availability of raw materi- The industrialization of the country, first of all, als and market demand. In this requires having qualified and experienced engi- regard, it is important to note that neering and technical specialists. To this end, it is Tajikistan has abundant resources necessary to strengthen the physical infrastructure of raw material in the mining, CHRONICLE ECO 45 Papers

construction materials, food, gar- pipes and metal profiles, 26 tractors, 2620.4 tons ment and cocoon industry, as well aluminum fluoride, and 356.6 m2 of decorative as automotive and coal industries. stones. Ensuring production of high-quali- ty competitive products in line The main factors for achieving this goal are the with international standards introduction and use of the latest innovative tech- through adequate use of these nologies, improvement of the professionalism of resources and introduction of the entrepreneurs and their management, the intro- latest technologies would make it duction of up-to-date methods of quality manage- possible to transform the country ment and training. from an agro-industrial to an industrial-agrarian economy in the Efficient and quality implementation of adopted nearest future. programs and investment projects, and increasing the share of the industry in the country's GDP, (in In 2019, industrial production 2019 it was increased to 17.4%, and there are had identical indicators, the plans to rise it to 22.0% by 2030) is identified as a country exported 96 800 tons of key objective in achieving the fourth national goal -

primary aluminum, 360.300 tons intensive industrialization of the country. of refined ores, 1 537 300 tons of In particular, President Rahmon announced the cement, 18 200 tons of coal, intensive industrialization of the country as the 2300 tons of salt, 18 500 tons of fourth national strategic goal and initiated two-year cotton yarn, 3 900 tons of leather, moratorium on inspections of manufacturing busi- 273 tons of canned fruits and nesses, which will lay a favorable foundation for vegetables, 545 tons of fruit juice, the industrial development and its positive contri- 94 100 tons of cotton fiber, 125.6 bution to the country's economy. tons of paint, 399 600 pieces of drywall, garments worth of TJS Economic reforms aimed at improving the invest- 156.8 million, 1439.3 tons of alu- ment and business climate in the country have minum profiles, 542.4 tons of made it possible to keep the country's macroeco- CHRONICLE ECO 46 Papers nomic indicators stable over the past ten years and The country has been increas- ensure real growth at the average rate of 7 percent. ingly introducing the latest tech- nologies, which is making it possi- In order to create favorable environment for entre- ble to increase the volume of preneurs, the Tajik Government annually imple- import-substituting products and ments important reforms in various areas of the promoting supply of the national economy, including simplifying the procedures for market with domestic industrial registering business entities, protecting and support- products. For example, new ing entrepreneurs and investors, improving the tax import-substituting industrial system, simplifying business audits and conducting products such as polypropylene comprehensive reforms. Moreover, the Tax Code of yarn, non-woven silk fabric, poly- the Republic of Tajikistan exempts from customs ethylene yarn, medical cotton, duties and value added tax the importation of goods cotton balls, screws, mats, various for personal needs by the brand new enterprises brackets, rubber tracks, dry tow- engaged in the full range of processing of cotton fiber els and cotton yarn were intro- and manufacturing of final products. In order to sup- duced in 2019. port cotton-processing enterprises, the amendments incorporated into the Tax Code of the Republic of The industrialization process has Tajikistan removed the tax for cotton fiber sale within expanded and now encompasses the country and the Tajik Government resolution set the use of new modern technolo- 10% export duty in January 2017. The incentives gies, and last year about one bil- offered to the cotton processing sector attracted for- lion Tajik Somoni of domestic and eign investment and laid the foundation for foreign investment were mobi- increased cotton processing in the country. lized to create new industries, import new technological equip- Additionally, relevant Tajik Government resolutions ment and expand industrial pro- set reduced export duties to promote processing of duction capacities. Thus, TJS 12m leather and cocoon within the country in order to were invested in the construction avoid their export as raw materials. materials industry, TJS 68 400,000 in the garment and silk Industrial development is also being achieved industries, TJS 56,400,000 in the through sectorial programmes, including the coal industry, TJS 166,000,000 in "Concept Framework for the development of the the food industry, TJS coal industry in the Republic of Tajikistan to 2040", 537,700,000 in the mining and "Programme for the development of non-ferrous and metallurgy, TJS 63,200,000 in the ferrous metallurgy in the Republic of Tajikistan to machine building industry, and 2025", "Programme for the development of garment TJS 42,800,000 in in other indus- industry in the Republic of Tajikistan to 2022", tries for introduction of technolo- "Programme for development of food industry of the gies and equipment. Republic of Tajikistan (2020-2025)", "Programme for development of sericulture and cocoon production The widespread use of modern in the Republic of Tajikistan (2012-2020)" and technologies, increased volume of "Programme for development of weaving in the import-substituting products, sup- Republic of Tajikistan (2014 - 2020)". These pro- ply of the market with competi- grammes will facilitate increase production, ensure tive domestic products, strength- its competitiveness, create new enterprises and ening the country's export capaci- workshops with created jobs, addressing social issues ty and creation of new jobs will in the country and lay the foundation for the transi- further stimulate the country's tion of the economy from a producer of raw materi- industrialists to avail the existing als to a manufacturer of final products. resources. CHRONICLE ECO 47 Reports

Republic of Tajikistan Key Statistics and Economic Indicators ajikistan with total area of Tajikistan is a mountainous country with an 141.400 km2 is located in absolute altitude of 300 to 7495 metres. Some the southeast Central Asia. 93 percent of the country's territory is covered The capital of the Republic by mountains belonging to the highest in T of Tajikistan is Dushanbe. Central Asia Tien Shan and the Pamir ranges. Its Tajikistan borders with climate is subtropical. Uzbekistan (910 km) and The temperature in the country ranges from Kyrgyzstan (630 km) in the west +22 (in the Panj district) to - 61 (in Bulunkul and the north, Afghanistan in the Lake) in January, and from - 8 (in Bulunkul south (1030 km), and China in Lake) to +49 (in Panj District) in July. the east (430 km). The total length of its borders is 3000 km. Tajikistan ranks the second among the CIS CHRONICLE ECO 48 Reports

countries, after Russia in terms of water resources, the main source of which are gla- ciers. The Pamirs is the largest glacier chain with a total area of 8041 km2 in the CIS region. Some 1085 glaciers in the Pamirs are registered. 12.6% in the mining industry, 5.3% in the electricity, gas, Tajikistan has a vast number of lakes, the steam and air conditioning, and water level of which covers 1005 9.1% in the water supply, clean- km2 or about 1% of the ing, waste recycling and accessi- country's territory. The ble secondary products. area of 22 lakes covers 625 km2. The lakes of The gross agricultural output Karakul and in 2019 by all categories of Sarez are farms made the biggest in Tajikistan. The main rivers are the Syrdaryo, Amudaryo and Zarafshon rivers. Tajikistan`s ecosystem also includes desert, steppe, highland and meadow. 'Varzob', 'Qayroqqum', 'Sarband', 'Norak', TJS 27,750,400 with 'Boyghozi', 'Sangtuda-1' and 'Sangtuda-2' an increase by 7.1% in compara- hydropower plants are the major electricity gen- ble prices in comparison with erators in the country. 2018, including increased crop production by TJS 19,279,700 or Tajikistan's gross domestic product (GDP) in 7.8% and cattle breeding by TJS 2019 amounted to TJS 77,354,700 with the 8,470,700 or by 5.7 percent. growth rate of 107.5% based on preliminary estimates. The nominal GDP increased by TJS As of 1 January 2020, the 8,510,700 compared to the same period of the number of cattle in farms of all last year thanks to the 28.5% of value added in categories was 2,358,300 the agriculture, 24.9% in the industry, 17.4% in (increasing by 33,300 or 1.4% as the hotel and restaurant business, and 9% in compared to the similar date of other public services. the previous year). Number of sheep and goats increased by In 2019, the industrial enterprises jointly 69,900 heads or 1.2%, amount- with private businesses have reached TJS ing to 5,671,800. 27586.6mln and increased by 13.6% as com- pared to 2018 (in comparable prices). The main The fishery products in drivers of industrial development were the January-December 2019 were of 16.2% of increase in processing industry output, TJS 51,200,000 that in compari- CHRONICLE ECO 49 Reports

put into operation, which is 124.2% to the corresponding period of the last year. During this period, 94 general secondary schools for 21.706 students, 81 medical cen- son with the similar period of tres with 1,059 beds, and 7 hospitals with the last year increased by 469 beds were put into operation. 31.2%. The yield of fisheries amounted to 2749.3 tons, As of December 2019, enterprises of all which is 32.1% more than in types of ownership registered 1,201,400 the corresponding period of persons or 51.5% of the total number of 2018. employed people in their list of hired employees. The average monthly nomi- nal salary of hired employees in December 2019 was TJS 1503.3, which is 10.8% higher than it was in November 2019 and 3.3% more against

In January - December 2019, TJS 12140.3mln of invest- December 2018 respectively. The minimum ments into fixed capital from all salary amounted to TJS 400. sources of financing were imple- Based on the number of births, deaths and mented and in comparison with migration, the number of population (according the similar period of the last year to preliminary estimates) was 9 316 800 people they increased by 93.7% (in as of January 1, 2020 and increased by 2.1% comparable prices). compared to the same time in 2019. The provinces had the following number of popula- In total, 1364.5 thousand tion: Khatlon - 3,350,000, Soughd - 2,705,500, square meters of housing were Republican subordination districts - 2,169,300, CHRONICLE ECO 50 Reports

The country mainly import- ed goods from the following countries: Russia (30.1%), Kazakhstan (22.1%), China (18.1%), Uzbekistan (5.7%), Turkey (4,3%), Germany (2,3%), USA (2,2%), Japan (2,0%), Pakistan and Iran (1,4%), Kyrgyzstan (1,3%), Ukraine (1,1%), Italy and the Republic of Korea (1,0%), Belarus (0.9%), India (0.7%), and UAE (0.6%).

In the foreign trade transac- tions, the export of Tajik prod-

Dushanbe City - 900,000, Badakhshon Mountainous Autonomous Province - 229,000.

The foreign trade turnover of the Republic of Tajikistan in January - December 2019 valued USD 4523.7mln (or 7.1%) compared to January - December 2018 (or USD 299.4mln). The trade balance was positive and amounted to USD 2174.9mln.

Exportation of goods in January-December 2019 amounted to USD 1174.4mln. (or 9.4%) compared to January - December 2018 or USD 101.1mln. Importation of goods amounted to USD 3349.3mln (or 6.3%) compared to January - December 2018.

Tajikistan's main export partners are Turkey - 19.9% of total exports, Switzerland - 19.2%, ucts against the import increased Kazakhstan - 18.6%, Uzbekistan - 14.6%, with Switzerland (USD 216.2m), Afghanistan - 8.3%, China. - 4.7%, Russia - Afghanistan (USD 97.7m), 3.8%, Belgium - 1.8%, Iran - 1.5%, Kyrgyzstan Turkey (USD 90.3m), Belgium and Latvia - by 1.0%, Italy and Pakistan - by (USD 13.8m), Latvia (USD 0.9%, the Netherlands and the Virgin Islands - 11.6m) and the Virgin Islands by 0.6% and so on. (USD 6.5m). CHRONICLE ECO 51 Interviews

Interview with Ambassador Nizomiddin Zohidi, Tajikistan's Permanent Representative to ECO Thank you Mr. tion between countries in development during the last Ambassador for speaking the region? decades. These two interre- with the ECO Chronicle. I lated concepts help to attain would like to take your Thank you so much for giv- a win-win situation for the view about the role of the ing me an opportunity to trading countries. Regional economic organizations share my views with ECO trade agreements bring for promotion of coopera- Chronicle. Economic region- improvements in the socio- alism and intra-regional inter- actions has been promoted for achieving socioeconomic CHRONICLE ECO 52 Interviews

become vital for the socio- economic development of the state and economic economic settings of the organization, which inte- and institutional set-up as member countries as well as grates all countries of our vast deepened aspect. at the world at large. Intra- region is the Economic regional trade is beneficial for Cooperation Organization The organization has mar- the countries, because of (ECO). velous potential for mutual least cost in terms of trans- advantage of the member portation along with compar- countries of the region. Due ative advantage in terms of Excellency, since its to geostrategic position, its the production of specific inception in 1985 what global stature and power is commodities. However, vari- has been, in your opinion, growing. ous constraints limit the actu- the main achievements of al gains and expansion in the ECO in 35 year expe- trade. rience? Excellency, what kind One of the main constraints of progress was gained is the lack of proper infra- The ECO has completed 35 after involving the rest 7 structure. Over the past three years of existence. Although countries into ECO mem- decades, resurgence of this is it's not a long period for a bership? accomplished by gradual regional cooperation to removal of barriers to mutual establish its worth in promot- The major objective of ECO trade in goods and services ing regional cooperation and is to provide steady develop- through the dialogue and solidarity, however, during ment and prosperity, and, negotiations on the aspect of these years, organization has based on this, enhancement free trade, custom union or "widened" as well as "deep- of living standards of our other preferential trade ened". nations. ECO was established agreements. Economic The widened aspect shows in 1985, as an intergovern- regionalism focuses on the that it has enlarged it mem- mental regional organization collaboration of organiza- bership from three to ten by Iran, Pakistan and Turkey tions, governments, and busi- countries. The ECO gained for the purpose of promoting nesses within a multijurisdic- observer status at the UNO, economic, technical, finan- tional economic region. OIC and other international cial and cultural cooperation The waves of globalization organizations since 1993. among the member states. and liberalization have fur- ECO has emerged as a reli- In 1992, Azerbaijan, ther made it obligatory for all able regional organization Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, the states to strengthen their and has signed more than Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, regional economic inter-link- forty MoUs with different Turkmenistan, and ages. In such a changing international and regional Uzbekistan became mem- global scenario the economic organizations and continues bers of ECO, thus turning it challenges have become a to have very close working into a major regional struc- dynamic policy issue for both relationship with UN and its ture with immense economic developed and developing affiliated bodies. potential. Before the begin- states. Presently the econom- It has also established ning of 1992 the interaction ic cooperation, whether vibrant ties with many between ECO members was bilateral, or regional has regional organizations such mainly limited to bilateral as SAARC, ASEAN, OIC, Colombo Plan and EU. It has also increased its activities CHRONICLE ECO 53 Interviews

phenomenon in comparison to many other regions of the world. relations and with member- ECO, today play an impor- ship of seven new members tant role in mobilizing the in 1992 the activities of the Please tell us about forces and capabilities of the ECO were largely extended. significance of ECO for world and the region against the regional cooperation global threats. In this context With a total territory of of Tajikistan? Tajikistan attaches great almost 8 million sq. km and importance to its member- a population of more than Tajikistan has maintained ship in the ECO and seeks to 500 million, vast supplies of good bilateral political, eco- contribute to all aspects of raw minerals and various nomic, cultural and humani- the ECO's activities. other natural resources, and tarian relations with all ECO In confirmation of this a high transport-transit member states since inde- statement, I would like to potential, this Organization pendence, and today these note that my country, in has the necessary prerequi- relations are gaining a new addition to the current activi- sites for dynamic economic level and quality. Along with ties of the ECO, is constantly interaction among its mem- bilateral relations, we pay active in hosting high-level ber states. These ten coun- great attention to the devel- meetings of the organization, tries are characterized by opment of multilateral coop- various sectoral meetings at common religion, culture, eration in the framework of the ministerial and expert historical and economic the ECO, and we see the level. affinities. External relations of ECO as an effective tool in In particular, Dushanbe ECO and its member states regional cooperation for the hosted the the 8th Summit help in economic integration purpose of trade and eco- meeting of Heads of the with the global market. nomic development between ECO member states on member countries, imple- September 14, 2004, which The most strategic signifi- mentation of regional trans- was chaired by the President cance of this region lies in port, communications and of Tajikistan, His Excellency the fact that it contains the energy projects, removal of Emomali Rahmon and during biggest reserve of oil, natural obstacles in unimpeded that Heads of delegations gas and mineral resources. movement of goods and emphasized the importance Due to geo-strategic posi- people in the region, joint of steady cooperation of the tion and rich in energy solution of various problems ECO member states in all pri- resources it has a potential to in the region and mutual ority spheres of economy serve as an engine for world assistance in improving the and expressed their support economic growth in the living standards of the peo- to the further development future. ples of our countries. of cooperation for achieve- Globalization and liberaliza- Modern-day global threats, ment of economic prosperity tion has further emphasized including the Covid-19 pan- of the region and successful upon establishing strong demic, have proved once integration into the system of regional linkages. The estab- again that countries can the global economy at this lishment of ECO is a signifi- counter and overcome such meeting. As a result of the cant development in regional threats only through joint 8th ECO Meeting, Dushanbe cooperation and a recent efforts and consolidation of Declaration 2004 was adopt- their capabilities. International and regional organizations, including the CHRONICLE ECO 54 Interviews

tion, were Kyrgyzstan- Tajikistan-Afghanistan-Iran (KTAI) Rail and Road ed. Moreover, the Eleventh Corridors. KTAI Corridor was savings when transporting (May 4, 2001), Fourteenth established as a shortcut for goods. (September 12, 2004) and transiting goods from Iran's Twenty third (April 17, 2018) southern ports to Central meetings of the Council of Asian countries including Excellency, what are Ministers of ECO was hosted Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and the main initiatives of by Tajikistan in beautiful Tajikistan. The corridor was Tajikistan within the ECO Dushanbe city. Each of these launched by IRICA in collab- region? meetings played an impor- oration with the International The implementation of the high-voltage electricity trans- mission line CASA-1000, which is acknowledged to be the first energy bridge between South and Central Asia, is one of the important initiatives within the ECO region. Construction activities of this project officially launched in Dushanbe on May 2016, with participation of the Heads of State and Government of the project countries namely Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. We hope that this strategic project will make it possible to connect the ener- gy grids of the countries of the two regions and promote the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal 7 - ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustain- tant role in promoting the Road Transport Union (IRU), able and modern energy for activities of the ECO. and ECO under the frame- all. One of the important initia- work of the TIR Convention Hydropower plants make tives developed within the (Convention on International the core of the energy sector framework of ECO and Transport of Goods Under in Tajikistan, which generates adopted by the Council in Cover of TIR Carnets) on July 98% of power in our country Dushanbe Communiqué 26, 2020. This new route with the use of renewable contributing to inter-regional opens up the region to trade energy sources. Tajikistan is connectivity and coopera- and development and will among the top six countries enable freight forwarders and transport operators to benefit from significant cost and time CHRONICLE ECO 55 Interviews

climate, beautiful nature with unique landscapes and many historical and civilizational of the world in terms of sites attracting tourists. Given of the new Decade and will "green energy" generation these opportunities, the also substantively contribute and it is ranked as one of the Government of Tajikistan has to implementation of water countries with huge been developing and imple- related objectives and tar- hydropower resources. The menting specific public pro- gets. hydropower potential of the grams on tourism develop- country is 527bn kw/hours of ment. In this regard, 2019- The Government of environmentally friendly 2021 were declared as the Tajikistan is keen to have civ- electricity per year of which Period of Rural ilized relations and wide Development, Tourism and range real cooperation with Folk Crafts in Tajikistan. This all friendly countries as well year was adopted "Tourism as regional and international Development Strategy to organizations. This is the core 2030" and promoted the of our foreign policy which is tourism advantages of based on the acknowledged Tajikistan. Within these pro- and imperishable principles grams we envisage a number of sustainable friendship, of privileges and benefits in equal rights and mutual trust the tourism sector, including and respect. for import of equipment and Accordingly, we stand ready other materials for develop- to expand our partnership ment of tourism infrastruc- with all ECO member states ture. in the areas of mutual inter- est. There is no doubt that expansion of cooperation We are also trying to between the ECO member increase our trade with ECO states in this area would member states, which cur- serve as another influential rently shares 36 percent of factor for sustainable devel- Tajikistan's foreign trade with opment of our countries and these countries. as an effective tool for I hope that cooperation of strengthening people-to- the ECO member states in people ties. realization of the important document "ECO Vision 2025" we currently use only five United Nations General will contribute to the devel- percent. Assembly adopted its resolu- opment of trade and eco- This is despite the fact that tion entitled "International nomic relations and the the ECO wider region's ener- Decade for Action "Water for implementation of the SDG gy market demands for ener- Sustainable Development" goals in the ECO region. gy are continuously growing. (2018-2028) at the initiative of Tajikistan and the proac- Tajikistan has a favorable tive support of the ECO Thank you so much member states. We believe that the ECO will proactively participate in implementation CHRONICLE ECO 56