DUSHANBE, September 15, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Mr. Makoto Ojiro, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Country Director for Tajikistan, has called on Tajikistan and Uzbekistan solve their customs procedure problems as soon as possible.

He remarked this on September 15 while delivering a statement at the 8th Customs Committee Meeting in Dushanbe.  According to him, the duration of customs procedures on the Tajik-Uzbek border reach some two hours and Mr. Ojiro called on the Tajik and Uzbek side to solve that and other problems.

Mr. Alimjon Alimov, the head of the international customs cooperation department within the Tajik Customs Service, said that that issue was currently under consideration.  “We are working on solving these problems and some progress was made lately,” said Alimov, “However, illicit drug trafficking as well as spread of terrorism and extremism in the region impedes improvement of relations between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.  Our Uzbek colleagues are seriously concerned over these issues and they approach the issue carefully.”