DUSHANBE, March 28, Asia-Plus  -- A meeting of representatives of Tajik business community with representatives of international organizations active in the country took place at the State Committee for Investments and State-owned Property Management (GosKomInvest) in Dushanbe on March 26.

The source at GosKomInvest said that Tajik business associations expressed dissatisfaction with inertia of international organizations over the problem of holding up Tajikistan-bound freight trains on Uzbek territory.

It was noted that the blockade has inflicted significant damage on Tajik entrepreneurs and if the situation does not change, the blockade could cause threat to Tajikistan’s food security.  Tajikistan’s business associations adopted a joint appeal to international organizations and diplomatic missions active in the country asking for assistance with solving the hold-up problem, the source said.

We will recall that 938 freight cars carrying fuel, bulldozers and excavators, as well as some other cargos have been stranded on Uzbek territory for several weeks.  On March 24, Uzbek officials allowed cargo cars carrying alumina, foodstuffs and some chemicals to move into Tajikistan.

Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reported on March 27 that Tajik railway officials said around 150 of the railcars were now in the country, but the Foreign Ministry said hundreds more were still being held up on Uzbek territory.

The hold-up has caused a dispute between the neighboring countries, with Tajikistan accusing Uzbekistan of intentionally blocking the freight transiting through its territory.  Uzbekistan has blamed technical problems, along with bad weather and an increase in freight traffic.

Tajik MFA summoned the Uzbek Ambassador to Tajikistan Shokasim Shoislamov on March 22 to hand over a protest note about blocked rail freight.  Davlat Nazriyev, a spokesman for Tajik MFA, said Tajikistan hopes for Tashkent''s cooperation in expediting the forward passage of some 1,000 freight cars bound for Tajikistan.