DUSHANBE, December 26, 2013, Asia-Plus -- Economic cooperation between Russia and Tajikistan is expanding, Russian Ambassador to Tajikistan Igor Lyakin-Frolov told journalists in Dushanbe on December 26.

“We will promote further expansion of economic cooperation between Russia and Tajikistan in the future as well,” Russian diplomat noted.

According to him, twenty-five Tajik-Russian joint ventures now operate in Tajikistan and the largest of them are Megafon-Tajikistan, Beeline, Gazpromneft-Tajikistan, and Open Joint-Stock Company (OJSC) Sangtudinskaya GES-1.

Besides, offices of Gazprom International, an affiliate of Russia’s state-controlled company Gazprom, and Rosselkhobank (Russian Agricultural Bank) operate in Tajikistan, Ambassador Lyakin-Frolov noted.

According to the Russian Embassy in Dushanbe, this year’s Russian investments in Tajikistan’s economy are expected to reach some 100 million U.S. dollars.

Since 2007, Russian has reportedly been the main trading partner of Tajikistan, leaving Iran, China, Kazakhstan, and Turkey behind.

In January-October 2013, a two-way trade between Tajikistan and Russia has valued at 804.8 million U.S. dollars.  This consisted of Tajikistan’s exports to Russia estimated at 101.5 million U.S. dollars and Tajikistan’s imports from Russia worth 703.2 million U.S. dollars..

Tajikistan’s exports to the Russian Federation include cotton fiber (14.4 million U.S. dollars), primary aluminum (23.7 million U.S. dollars), vegetables (1.8 million U.S. dollars), fruits and nuts (1.3 million U.S. dollars).