Tajikistan’s economic growth is projected to decelerate slightly in 2024 and 2025 due to weaker remittances, fiscal space constraints, and subdued global demand for Tajikistan’s major export commodities, says the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The country’s gross domestic product (GDP) is forecast to grow at 6.5% both this year and next after registering 8.3% growth in
Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon called the current global situation “a new phase of the Cold War” and called on his compatriots to be politically vigilant amid “growing tensions as the process of the world’s repartitioning is intensifying,” RFE/RL reported. “In these difficult and dangerous circumstances, we should not let our citizens, our children, turn into
Turkey has cancelled visa-free travel for Tajik nationals, the office of the Turkish president said on April 6, without giving any reason behind the decision, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reported. Tajikistan’s Foreign Ministry later said that Ankara had not officially notified Dushanbe about its plan to scrap the visa-exemption rule, which had been in place since
The Tajik Foreign Ministry on April 6 rejected a statement by the director of Russia’s Security Council that Ukraine has recruited mercenaries in Tajikistan, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reported. Nikolai Patrushev earlier last week accused officials of the Ukrainian Embassy in Dushanbe of recruiting mercenaries to participate in military operations, including against Russia. He made the
Russia is deporting hundreds of foreigners for immigration violations in the wake of the deadliest terrorist attack in nearly two decades. Meanwhile, many Tajik migrant workers are leaving the country on their own accord, fearing an increase in xenophobia, RFE/RL reported. Russian law enforcement has carried out sweeping checks of immigrants in the country after
Kyrgyzstan has called on its citizens not to travel to Russia, where Central Asian migrant workers and visitors are facing enormous pressure following last week’s deadly attack near Moscow that left 139 people dead, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported. Russian officials said earlier that 11 suspects, including four men who allegedly attacked the Crocus City Hall entertainment center,
The Governments of the United States, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan joined private sector representatives in the inaugural B5+1 Forum in Almaty, Kazakhstan, from March 13-15. Announced by President Biden during the inaugural C5+1 Summit in September 2023 and highlighted in the corresponding New York Declaration, the B5+1 is the private-sector-led counterpart
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has contributed US$7 million to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to bolster assistance for vulnerable households facing rising food insecurity in Tajikistan, the U.S. Embassy in Tajikistan said on March 12. The funding will enable WFP to support vulnerable communities to better meet their food
The U.S. ambassador to Tajikistan, Manuel Micaller, called on Tajik authorities on March 11 — the Day of Press in the Central Asian nation — “to support the rights of journalists and to respect their freedom of expression,” stressing that “an independent press is a key element of building democracy.” The ambassador said that free, independent media
The World Bank and the IFC, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, on March 1 organized the first Conference on Elevating Global Access through E-Commerce (E-GATE) in Tajikistan. In Central Asia, e-commerce is emerging as a powerful tool to tap into global markets for locally made products, modernize traditional supply chains, and foster
In a significant move to bolster regional collaboration, representatives from Central Asian nations convened at a workshop in Almaty on March 1 to forge a roadmap and action plan for a proposed second phase of the World Bank-supported Central Asia Hydrometeorology Modernization Project (CAHMP II). This gathering underscored an advancement in regional cooperation and modernization efforts in
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says it is providing more resources to increase the reliability and sustainability of electricity supply in Tajikistan by organising a financial facility of up to €31 million for national transmission network operator Shabaqahoi Intiqoli Barq (SIB). The facility consists of two EBRD sovereign loans totalling up to €23 million
Tajikistan’s Supreme Court has handed prison terms to three well-known public figures for writing, editing, and publishing a book that highlights some of the challenges faced by those living in the tightly controlled former Soviet republic, which the authorities ordered cleared from bookstores, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reported. Several sources told RFE/RL on February 23 that the court
Earlier this month, Tajik migrant workers in the Russian city of Samara were scared after Sunatullo Nazriev, the leader of the local Tajik diaspora, called on Tajiks who have Russian citizenship and those who want to get Russian passports in an expedited way to join Russia’s armed forces fighting in Ukraine. According to the migrant
The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) has released the latest Macroeconomic Review for its six member states — Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. In the face of a challenging external economic environment, the Review says, the EDB region saw a strong recovery in 2023, with the aggregate GDP of the Bank’s member states increasing
On February 19, the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) launched the Central Asian Women’s Entrepreneurship Programme titled “Strengthening the Digital Skills of Women Entrepreneurs”. The programme will serve as an online platform for exchange, learning, and dialogue for 21 women-led businesses from Central Asia. Through a series of workshops,
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, has announced a subscription of up to $10 million in a landmark local currency green bond issued by Tajikistan’s Eskhata Bank. The first in the country, the bond aims to boost access to climate finance for smaller businesses amid a challenging macro-economic environment.
U.S. Ambassador to Tajikistan Manuel Micaller and the Aga Khan Development Network Resident Representative Qozidavlat Qoimdodov on February 15 joined Tajik Minister of Science and Education Saidzoda Rahim Hamro in an official handover ceremony of 242,000 English language textbooks for secondary schools in Tajikistan, the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe reported. The U.S. Embassy, in cooperation
The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and in collaboration with the Tajikistan Ministry of Health, the National TB Program, healthcare professionals, international donors, and the community, successfully completed its Eliminating TB in Central Asia Activity (ETICA) in Tajikistan. Over four years, the activity has made remarkable achievements in the fight
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says it invested more than €1.2 billion in projects across Central Asia in 2023 to stimulate the region’s sustainable and inclusive growth. Uzbekistan remained the leading recipient of EBRD funding in the region for the fourth year running, by attracting more than €700 million. The remaining €518 million
