DUSHANBE, April 8, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Countries of Central Asia ought to abandon old system of relationships in order to build the new one and experience of smoothing uneven relations will come with final solution of the issue of joint use of water resources, Mr. Pierre Morel, the European Union (EU) Special Representative for Central Asia, remarked at a press conference at the German Embassy in Dushanbe on April 7.

Although the European Union does not play a leading role in the region, we recommend building new relations regarding the issue of distribution of water resources in the region, the EU envoy for Central Asia said.  “Under the present conditions it is necessary to abandon construction of huge dams as it had been done in the Soviet time, because they are dangerous for the environment,” said Mr. Morel.  “Instead of them, to meet countries’ requirements in power it is necessary to develop construction of small hydropower plants that require fewer investments and are constructed much quicker.”

According to him, creation of a united international coordination body could be possible solution to water-and-energy problem.

On the impact of the global financial crisis on the Central Asia region, the EU envoy noted that the poorest countries of the region – Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan – are the most vulnerable to the crisis.  “Although banking systems of these countries are not connected with the world financial system as strongly as the banking system of Kazakhstan for example, but decreasing exports and labor migrants’ remittances may negatively impact their economies,” Mr. Morel said.

He further added that the crisis would be an additional drive for Tajikistan to develop its economic potentials.