DUSHANBE, June 24, 2015, Asia-Plus – Simplification of visa regime will promote development of trade and economic cooperation between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, First Deputy Prime Minister of Tajikistan, Davlatali Said noted at the third meeting of the Tajik-Uzbek intergovernmental commission for trade and economic cooperation that is concluding in Tashkent, Uzbekistan today.

For his part, Uzbek First Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Azimov noted that Uzbekistan was ready to consider proposals of Tajik enterprises on mutual deliveries of goods. 

“It is necessary to draw up a list of product items for development of bilateral export,” Azimov was quoted as saying by Uzbek news agency Podrobno.uz .    

According to him, Uzbekistan is ready to export a wide range of commodities to Tajikistan, including cars, trucks, buses, agricultural machines, chemical and electronic products.  

Uzbekistan Today quoted Azimov as saying that “only economic cooperation will allow unraveling all those knots that have been formed in relationships between the two countries over the past years.”

Over the last five years, a two-way trade between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan has valued on average at  150 million U.S. dollars and last year it rose only 5.5 percent, reaching 160 million U.S. dollars, the Uzbek prime minister noted.

The meeting participants pointed to the necessity of more actively using opportunities of launching joint ventures within the frameworks of investment cooperation.

They also noted that expansion of transportation cooperation would promote expansion of trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.  To stimulate increase in rail traffic volumes, they proposed to review tariffs for transit transportation. 

Co-chaired by Tajik Frit Deputy Prime Minister Davlatali Said and Uzbek First Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Azimov, the meeting kicked off in the Uzbek capital on June 22.       

The Tajik delegation members include the Minister of Economic Development and Trade Nematullo Hikmatullozoda, the Minister of Transport Sherali Ganjalzoda, the Minister of Industry and New Technologies Shavkat Bobozoda, the Deputy Foreign Minister Parviz Davlatzoda, the Customs Service Head Fattoh Ghoib, Tajik Railways Director Komil Mirzoaliyev and heads of Tajik Air (Tajik national air carrier) and Tajiktransgaz (Tajik state gas distributor).

We will recall that Tajik President Emomali Rahmon held talks with his Uzbek counterpart Islam Karimov in Dushanbe on September 10, 2014 on the sideline of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit.  Both presidents declared for expansion of friendly and good-neighborly relations between their countries.

It was the first visit of Uzbek president to Tajikistan since 2008.  In August 2008, Islam Karimov visited Dushanbe to attend the SCO summit.  Rahmon and Karimov also held talks in Tashkent in June 2010 on sideline of the SCO summit.

Tajik and Uzbek leaders meet rarely because of disagreements over use of regional water-and-energy resources.

In the framework of agreements reached during talks between the presidents of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in Dushanbe in September last year, Tajikistan has sent a number of proposals to Uzbekistan on expansion of bilateral cooperation.

The Tajik authorities reportedly noted that resumption of regular air communication between Dushanbe and Tashkent and bus service between cities of the two countries would promote expansion of bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.  Besides, the Tajik side has proposed to simplify visa requirements for citizens of both countries.

Relations between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are currently strained because of the former’s plans to build the Roghun hydroelectric power plant (HPP).  Tajik authorities believe that the Roghun dam is solution to many problems Tajikistan faces today, including frequent electricity shortages during winters.

The Roghun HPP could generate both enough electricity to provide for Tajikistan’s population and enough excess to export to Pakistan, Afghanistan, or China.

Uzbekistan is downstream country and its authorities consider that Tajikistan will use the dam as a means of leverage to pressure Uzbekistan in the many political disputes between the two countries.

However, Tajik-Uzbek relations have begun to thaw after a long chill.  Uzbek enterprises are reportedly seeking partners for cooperation in Tajikistan and a two-way trade between the two countries is increasing.