DUSHANBE, September 24, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- If the United States does not bear responsibility towards small developing countries, the financial crisis may affect their economies even more, Farrukh Saidov, an official with the Center for Strategic at the President of Tajikistan, said commenting on a statement delivered by President’ Rahmon in general debates of the 64th session of the UN General Assembly in New York on December 23.

Saidov supported Rahmon’s statement that the global financial crisis had been primarily caused by the most advanced and wealthy countries, first of all he United States.  “The mortgage crisis that caused the global financial crisis began in the United States, you know” a senior expert from the Tajik think tank said.

According to him, the economic crisis has affected the economies of many small countries, including the CIS states.

“The majority of countries are not to blame for the occurrence of the financial crisis; on contrary, these countries have become pawns in financial schemes of world powers, and if these wealthy and advanced countries do not help poor developing countries overcome the crisis, the burden of the crisis will become even worse,” Saidov said.

He noted that small countries such as Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Poland and some others had suffered most from the crisis.  “If world powers do not help these countries, economies of these countries will collapse,” the expert said.