DUSHANBE, October 23, Asia-Plus - A draft agreement between the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Government of Tajikistan on leasing by Tajik national air carrier TajikAir of new aircraft was a major topic of discussions of visiting representatives of EBRD Ken Tanimura and Fred Strickland with Prime Minister Oqil Oqilov in Dushanbe at the end of last week, Turanboy Tuychiyev, a spokesman for the Tajik prime minister, said.  

According to him, the meeting focused on conditions for speeding up development of Tajikistan’s economy and attraction of foreign investments.  During the meeting it was noted that time has come for TajikAir to open new air routes and strengthen its positions on the air transportation market, the prime minister’s spokesman said.  

Oqilov hailed an information by Strickland, the head of the EBRD aviation consultants’ team, that if things go right new planes of TajikAir will operate flights already in December this year.  

As it had been reported earlier, the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) ratified an agreement, under which EBRD loans TajikAir US$5 million to lease tow new aircraft, on December 20 last year.