DUSHANBE, December 4, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- In the coming four years, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide grants only, Ms, Tatiana Yevstifeyeva, Senior Administrative Assistant/ External Relations Coordinator, Tajikistan Resident Mission ADB, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.

According to her, some media attribute the fact that the ADB temporarily refrains from providing loans to Tajikistan to large amount of Tajikistan’s external debt.  “However, it is not so,” said Yevtifeyeva, “The Bank is switching over to the no-strings aid only for the purpose of promoting reduction of poverty in the country.”

We will recall that Tajikistan’s external debt has exceeded 1.3 billion U.S. dollars to this date.

Ms Yevstifeyeva added that the ADB jointly with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had analyzed sustainability of the country’s external debt and the results would be published next month.

“Over the past decade, the ADB has provided more than 500 million U.S. dollars to Tajikistan; of this amount, 350 million U.S. dollars have been provided in a form of grants,” she said.

ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in the Asia and Pacific region through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members – 48 from the region. In 2007, it approved $10.1 billion of loans, $673 million of grant projects, and technical assistance amounting to $243 million.