News block

Meeting with President Emomali Rahmon opens first visit by EBRD president in nine years. EBRD President Sir Suma Chakrabarti is visiting Tajikistan on Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 November. This is the first official visit to the country by an EBRD president in the last nine years.

The visit started with a meeting with the President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon. During the meeting, the presidents discussed the growing role of the private sector in the country, a record year for EBRD investment there, and the new EBRD strategy for Tajikistan which is currently under preparation.

After the meeting with President Rahmon, Sir Suma addressed a special session of the Consultative Council on the Investment Climate under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan. In his address, the EBRD President highlighted the Bank’s commitment to the country and noted recent developments including Tajikistan’s rise in the latest World Bank Doing Business report, reforms aimed at improving the investment climate and World Trade Organization membership.

 

During his stay President Chakrabarti will also meet with the ministers of finance, energy and foreign affairs, the Governor and the Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Tajikistan, representatives of the business, investor and diplomatic communities and international financial institutions, EBRD clients and representatives of civil society including women’s organisations.

The EBRD delegation will also visit the Nurek hydropower plant, meet with the local authorities in Khatlon province and participate in an energy sector roundtable.

President Chakrabarti will sign financing agreements with two companies: the microfinance institution IMON International, which will use funds to increase lending to micro and small enterprises, and Schiever Tajikistan, which plans to open the first modern supermarket in the country under the Auchan brand.

The EBRD’s priorities in Tajikistan are support for the private and financial sectors and for infrastructure development. To date, the EBRD has invested about ?360 million in Tajikistan.