DUSHANBE, January 25, Asia-Plus - Tajikistan''s foreign debt has stood at $866 million as of January 1, a drop of $28 million since the beginning of 2006, Deputy Finance Minister, Shavkat Sohibov, announced at a news conference in Dushanbe on January 25. 

According to him, the International Monetary Fund in mid-2006 wrote off $99 million of the country''s debt, but the reduction in the debt amounted to $28 million after Tajikistan borrowed loans from a number of international financial institutions.  Sohibov said that $36.1 million in budget money was allocated last year for serving and repaying Tajikistan’s debt in due course.  

The deputy minister noted that the World Bank, the Asian and Islamic Development Banks as well as the European Union remain Tajikistan’s main creditors.    

According to him, China’s Exim (Export/Import) Bank has joined ranks of the country’s large creditors this year.  Exim Bank is financing a number of large investment projects in the republic: reconstruction of the highway from Dushanbe via Khujand to Uzbek border and construction of the Shahriston tunnel; construction of electric main South-North and construction power-transmission line Lolazor-Obimzor in the Khatlon province.