DUSAHNBE, September 7, Asia-Plus - Issues related to cooperation between Tajikistan and Russia in the fields such as hydropower, oil and natural gas extraction, telecommunications, industry, and minerals are the aims of the ninth session of Tajik-Russian commission for trade and economic cooperation that will be held in Moscow in med-September.   

According to information from the Ministry of Economy and Trade (MET), the session is aiming to consider state and prospects of further expansion of economic cooperation between the two countries.  

A source in the MET has told Asia-Plus that new proposals to be considered at the session in Moscow are focused on joint efforts to promote bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the areas such as hydropower, water economy, agriculture, investments, and conduct of fundamental and applied researches in specific spheres.  

According to figures provided by the State Committee for Statistics, a two-way trade between Tajikistan and Russia in January-July 2006 has valued at US$248,085,300, which is 44.3 percent more compared to the same period of last year.  This consisted of Tajikistan’s exports to the Russian Federation estimated at US$27.2 million and Tajikistan’s imports from Russia worth US$220.8 million.   .

We will recall that Tajik Prime Minister Oqil Oqilov and Russia’s Emergencies Minister Sergey Shoigu are co-chairmen of the Tajik-Russian economic commission.