DUSHANBE, January 23, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- In a report released at a news conference in Dushanbe, Minister of Finance Safarali Najmididnov revealed on January 23 that Tajikistan external debt rose 181.5 million U.S. dollars in a year to December 31, 2011, reaching more than 2.124 billion U.S. dollars.

According to him, current external debt is equal to 33.2 percent of Tajikistan’s gross domestic product (GDP).

“Last year, the external debt service amounted to 62.56 million U.S. dollars,” said the minister.  “33.96 million U.S. dollars were allocated for repayment of the principal and 28.6 million U.S. dollars were allocated for repayment of the debt interest.”

Long-term preferential loans from international financial institutions reportedly form the bulk of the country’s external debt.

Tajikistan’s main creditors now include the Export-Import Bank of China (China Exim Bank) – US$878.47 million, the World Bank – US$371.27, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) – US$333.03 million, the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) – US$103.58 million, the European Union (EU) – US$36.06 million, and EurAsEC Anti-Crisis Fund (ACF) – US$70 million.

As far as Tajikistan’s debt to Uzbekistan is concerned, it now amounts to 27.66 million U.S. dollars.  The debt was restructured in 2010 and it is repayable until 2015.