First Counsellor of the Polish Embassy in Tajikistan (resident in Tashkent), Slawomir Strzałkowski, told during a press conference in Dushanbe on Thursday that opening a Polish diplomatic representation in Tajikistan at this stage is impossible.

He explained that not having a Polish embassy in Tajikistan is related to financial issues. “Our MFA, as the Tajik MFA, can count money,” said the diplomat, “and we do not have an embassy in Dushanbe due to the same reasons that the Tajik Embassy in Poland is located in Berlin, and not in Warsaw; because they are counting money.”

Mr. Strzałkowski underlined that Poland wanted to open a consular section in Khojand. “However,” he said, “we were not able to do it, due to technical reasons.”

Mr. Strzałkowski understands that Tajik citizens have difficulties in travelling to Tashkent for the Polish visa. He noted that Tajik citizens can also obtain the Polish visa in the Polish diplomatic mission in Almaty.

The Polish diplomat said: “In Africa, for example, one Polish embassy serves for eight countries.”

According to the Polish Embassy in Tajikistan, for the five months of this year, Tajik-Polish trade turnover rose by 37 per cent in comparison to the same period last year. The Embassy notes that export from Poland to Tajikistan has increased by 30 per cent.