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DM 09 / 21 Country Special_41

Tajikistan has great potential
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On the 30 anniversary of independence, I extend my warmest
congratulations to Tajikistan and the Tajiks. Accredited as the
German ambassador in Dushanbe from 1977 to 2000, I got to
know and appreciate the country and its extremely personab-
le and hospitable residents. I felt very comfortable there. I was
able to witness and actively participate in leading the country
out of the difficult times of civil war into a new, peaceful future.
With political support for the reconciliation process and the very
helpful projects of German World Hunger Aid, we succeeded in
convincing the opposition in those days of the necessity of joint do not immediately notice it. But it holds numerous secrets and treasures
efforts to rebuild the country. I still remember well the feelings to be discovered. I can say from my own experience that it is worth taking
that moved us when I brought representatives from the gover- a closer look at the country at the foot of the Pamir. There are many not
nment and the opposition together in my residence for the first so well trodden paths and a centuries-old culture that shaped its people
time on occasion of the anniversary of German reunification. and that can be felt to this day. Tajikistan deserves our full support and
These events now sound like from another long-gone time. the interest of each and every one of us. As an aside, my next trip to
Tajikistan has made very good progress in building the country Tajikistan is already planned. th
since then. The country is united internally, which is probably the I take the opportunity of the 30 anniversary of the existence of an inde-
most important element for its positive social and economic de- pendent Tajikistan to wish the country itself, its constitution, its institu-
velopments in the past few years. Tajikistan has great potential, tions, its social activities, and the preservation of its cultural heritage for
especially in the areas of water management and raw material the good of the people good luck and success.

extraction and can also play a prominent role in the areas of eco- Matthias Meyer
tourism in the future. Its location means that foreign observers Ambassador (ret.)

boring countries. Economic integration, 2007. In 2020, the foreign ministers of direct investment by German compa-
joint fight against threats, and environ- Central Asia and Germany had inaugu- nies in Tajikistan during the stabilization
mental protection – these are some of rated a new “Green Central Asia” pro- of trade relations. Tajikistan joined the
many priorities Tajikistan cooperates gram. Let us hope that the agreements WTO in 2013, has applied for the Gen-
with all Central Asian republics and other reached will gain momentum in the eralized Scheme of Preferences (GSP+)
countries within the framework of inter- post-COVID era. and is constantly striving to improve the
national and regional organizations. legal framework, implement reforms
According to Henry Ford mutual trust and review legislation. Annual gross
Experts agree that Central Asia is gain- and joint success require “understand- domestic product growth is more than
ing geostrategic, geopolitical and eco- ing each other’s point of view”. Mar- 7%, and the government’s plans to de-
nomic importance for Europe as a link ket economy framework conditions and velop the energy sector and infrastruc-
between Eastern Europe and China. The legal certainty are necessary precondi- ture offers more opportunities for this,
EU launched its Central Asia Strategy in tions for opening the way for sustained which will be exploited jointly.

Current developments in Afghanistan
and the increasing financially lucrative
drug trade, the consequences of the
COVID-19 pandemic and pressures on
the environment pose a major chal-
lenge for the government of Tajikistan,
which it is trying to address with spe-
cial attention.
Foto 1 © privat, Foto 2 © Komilzoda Komron The capital Dushanbe is a clean, European-

style city and a must for many travelers in
the Central Asian state. The city is located
in Gisar valley at 2,700 ft above sea level,
and has wide tree-lined streets with
plenty of cafés to enjoy coffee or tea with
local sweets. Dushanbe is the financial,
political, administrative, and cultural capital
of Tajikistan. All Government offices and
Embassies are located in Dushanbe.