DUSHANBE, January 19, 2012, Asia-Plus -- On Thursday January 19, the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) ratified a number of cooperation agreements.

The parliament, in particular ratified the agreement between the Republic of Tajikistan and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income.

Speaking on this subject, Minister of Finance Safarli Najmiddinv noted that current trade between Tajikistan and Luxembourg is at a very low level.

According to him, a two-way trade between Tajikistan and Luxembourg last year valued at some 11 million U.S. dollars.  This consisted of Tajikistan’s exports to Luxembourg estimated at 1 million U.S. dollars and Tajikistan’s imports from Luxembourg worth 10 million U.S. dollars.

Ratification of the agreement will allow increasing trade between the two countries, improving the investment environment and launching joint ventures as well as promote Tajikistan’s admission to the World Trade Organization (WTO), the minister noted.

To-date, Tajikistan has signed similar agreement with twenty-three countries, Najmiddinov added.

Parliamentarians also approved the agreement of the Eurasian Group for combating money laundering and financing terrorism.

Commenting on this agreement, Sharif Rahimzoda, the head of the National Bank of Tajikistan (NBT), noted that the document was signed by the CIS heads of government in 2004.  The NBT singed the document on behalf of the Government of Tajikistan in June 2011, the Tajik central bank head added.        

The Eurasian group for combating money laundering and financing of terrorism (EAG) is a FATF-style regional body uniting Belarus, India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.  16 more states and 17 international and regional organizations have observer status within the EAG.

The Majlisi Namoyandagon also ratified the agreement between Tajikistan and Austria for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and the CIS agreement on exchange of information in the field of crime prevention that was signed by the CIS heads of government in may 2009.