REPUBLIC OF TAJIKISTAN

1. REPUBLIC OF TAJIKISTAN DALER FAYZIEV , Specialist of Department of Foreign Economic Relations Venice, Italy, 13 th of April 2011

2. Contents • State symbols • Tajikistan in figures • Doing business in Tajikistan • Natural Recourses • Energy • Tourism • Transport • Useful links www.mfa.tj / www.visittajikistan.tj / www.tpp.tj

3. 1. State symbols • National Emblem • The National Emblem of the Republic of Tajikistan's represents the image of stylized crown and semicircle from seven stars on it in the beams of sun arising behind of the mountains, covered with snow and framed by wreath which is made on the right from ears of wheat and on the left from branches of a cotton. From above a wreath is interlaced by a three-striped tape and in the bottom sector there is placed a book on the support. www.mfa.tj / www.visittajikistan.tj / www.tpp.tj

4. 1.1 State symbols • State flag • The state flag of the Republic of Tajikistan represents a right-angled panel consisting from three colored stripes located horizontal: the top stripe - red color and equal to it on width the bottom stripe of green color, the average white stripe, making one and a half width of dense stripes. On a white stripe, at the distance of half of length of a panel from a flagstaff, there is a stylized gold crown and a semicircle from seven stars above it. The attitude of the general width of a flag to length is 1:2. The crown and a star are entered in a rectangle, the sides of which on a vertical make 0,8 and across 1,0 width of a white stripe. Five-pointed stars are entered in a circle with diameter 0,15 and settle down on an arch radius of 0,5 width of a white stripe. There are three colors on a flag of the Republic of Tajikistan: green, red and white. A green stripe are valleys, they are not enough in republic - 7 % of territory. Because the rest of the territory is occupied by mountains. The white stripe is a color of the main richness of republic - cotton and also the color of snow and ice in high mountains. The red color is a color of unification of republic and brotherhood with other nations of the world. www.mfa.tj / www.visittajikistan.tj / www.tpp.tj

5. 2. Tajikistan in figures • The Republic of Tajikistan situated on the North-East part of Central Asia. Area - 143,100 sq km. Population - 7,029,000. Capital - Dushanbe. Currency – somoni (introduced in October 2000). •  State borders – length – 700 km from the West to the East, 350 km from the North to the South. On the West and the North Tajikistan shares border with Uzbekistan (910 km) and Kyrgyzstan (630 km), on the South with Afghanistan (1030 km), on the East with China (430 km). •  Climate – continental. Average temperature in June – July from 30 to 35 degree above zero. •  Modern Tajikistan is a mountainous country with the altitudes vary from 300 to 7,495 meters above the sea level. 93% of the territory are mountain ranges relating to Pamirs, Hissar-Alay and Tien-Shan mountain systems. The mentioned ranges are divided by rich and fertile lands of Ferghana, Zerafshan, Vakhsh and Hissar valleys. Complicated relief and big amplitude of mountain system’s high caused exceptional diversity of flora and fauna. Tajikistan – country of high peaks, strong glaciers, swift rapid rivers, unrepeatable in terms of beauty lakes, unique flora and rare animals. Mountainous, floor landscape determines originality and peculiarity of Tajikistan’s nature, riches of its forms called for life by diversity of climatic zones. In the republic it is possible during the one and half hour fly from heat of Vakhsh valley get arctic cold of everlasting snows of Pamirs. www.mfa.tj / www.visittajikistan.tj / www.tpp.tj

6. 3. Doing business in Tajikistan • Tajikistan is an agrarian-industrial country. In accordance with the Constitution, the economy of the country consists of different forms of ownership. The state guarantees freedom of economic activities and enterprises, equality and legal protection for all forms of ownership, including private. • Land, its minerals, water, air, flora and fauna and other natural resources are the exclusive property of the state and the state guarantees their effective use in the interests of the people. • While in Tajikistan the land is not transferred to private ownership, and can be leased for any length of time. • The main macroeconomic indicators of RT in the first half of 2009 (official data of State Statistics Committee of Tajikistan): • Gross Domestic Product - 7826.6 million Somoni. (102,8% compared to the same period in 2008). • Volume of industrial production (works, services) - 2558.9 million Somoni. (86,7% over the same period in 2008). • Gross agricultural output - 1835.9 million Somoni (that makes 114,8% compared to the same period in 2008). www.mfa.tj / www.visittajikistan.tj / www.tpp.tj

7. Foreign trade turnover - $ 1,615.8 million, including: • "Marmar", "Obi Zulol" and etc. • Exports - $ 411.4 million • Imports - $ 1,204.4 million • Number of registered unemployed (end of June 2009) - 44,2 thousand people. • Tajikistan is rich in natural resources, including such as hydropower (8 th place in the world), precious stones and metals, ores, coal, etc. The Republic has good potential for tourism development. • The priority areas of investment in the Tajik economy are: completion of the Rogun hydroelectric power and small hydropower plants on the inland rivers of the republic, the extraction and processing of precious stones and metals, ores, development of telecommunications, processing of cotton and other agricultural products. • Government of the republic creates favorable conditions for large investors. Thus, according to new laws, the payment of income tax for two years are exempt for enterprises with foreign investment from $ 100 thousand to 500 thousand dollars. If the share of foreign partner in the joint venture will be $ 500 thousand to $ 2 million, the grace period is 3 years. 5-year grace period during which the company will not be taxed on income, is provided in cases when foreign investment is U.S. $ 5 million or more. www.mfa.tj / www.visittajikistan.tj / www.tpp.tj

8. 4. Natural Recourses •  The depths of Tajikistan contain almost all elements of the periodic table and are the unique store of minerals. Today Tajikistan has discovered, prospected and prepared for development 400 ore and other minerals deposits. • Tajikistan is referred to the category of countries having considerable deposits of precious metals. • There are a few gold and ore deposits in Zaravshan Valley (Chore, Shahbas, Kum-manor), which are aimed to ensure a long-term operation of gold-mining enterprises. According to the data provided by the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tajikistan, today there are 28 deposits of gold on the territory of Tajikistan with a general capacity amounting to about 429,3 tons. • BolshoyKonimansur, which is the second largest deposit of silver in the world, is located in the north of the country, on the territory of Sugd region. If Tajikistan produces up to 50 tons of silver annually, the silver reserves shall be still sufficient for more than 150 years. • Tajikistan holds the first place amongst the CIS countries for its reserves of antimony. The largest deposit of antimony is “Skalnoye” (over 50% of the CIS reserves of antimony). Apart from antimony and mercury reserves, there are 214 deposits of other natural resources in Sugd region, such as: lead and zinc (16 deposits), copper and bismuth (3), molybdenum and wolframite (1), strontium (2), iron (3), gold (15), silver (7), tin (1), coal (11), oil and gas (11), fluorspar (5), rock-salt (1) and etc. The mining area Uchkado is unique for its content of gold, silver, lead, zinc and antimony. According to preliminary calculations, the estimate value of the hidden ores of metals exceeds 10 billion US dollars. There is no other deposit of that kind elsewhere in the world. www.mfa.tj / www.visittajikistan.tj / www.tpp.tj

9. 5. Energy • Energy Sector •  According to the information provided by a well-known edition, the World Atlas HYDROPOWER & DAMS (1997), Tajikistan takes the first place in the world for its hydropower resources (specific parameters) and according to the absolute parameters (300 billion kWt/h per year) – the eighth place. Should they be used in full volume, the Republic can become the largest electricity exporter in the region, • Despite availability of a considerable amount of energy resources, the country still experiences a significant energy deficiency (up to 600 million kWt/h per year), basically in winter period. www.mfa.tj / www.visittajikistan.tj / www.tpp.tj

10. 6. Tourism • Tajikistan has just about everything that a traveler would want to see – it has history by the bucket load (refer to the Pamirs website), and it has beautiful untouched mountain scenery. It has hospitable people and it is bound to provide you with a trip you will always remember. • Tajikistan is not an easy place to get to or travel round and unless going on an expensive everything included Western operated tour, it is for the real independent minded traveler. It is not easy but the rewards are huge. The biggest cost for the independent traveler is likely to be transport costs – hence the separate website page. • It is also amazing that for such a small country there is so much to do and see. From trekking in the beautiful Fann mountains to traveling the second highest highway in the world, to visiting the longest glacier in the world outside the Polar regions, climbing some of the highest mountains in the world, taking tea with Pamiri families and waving at Afghans across the river. You can see the highest dam in the world and you can track the endangered Marco Polo sheep and follow the ancient Silk Road. • One of the easiest things to do, and one of the things quite a few travel agents offer is an excursion from Samarkand into Tajikistan to the ancient city of Penjikent in the Fann Mountains. It doesn’t take long to do this and you can get a clear taster of Tajikistan without having to build on lots of days to take on the whole country. It is logical really as Samarkand is historically a Tajik city but not many tourists venture over the border. www.mfa.tj / www.visittajikistan.tj / www.tpp.tj

11. 7.Transport • Motor Transport: • The total length of highway is 27,8 thousand square km. • • More than 90% of passengers’ flow of traffic and more than 80% of internal freight occurs via motor transport. • • First stage of project «Rehabilitation and reconstruction of road «Dushanbe - Khujand - Chanak – border with Uzbekistan» and also the construction of the Anzob pass laying that connects South with the North were finished. Road construction with tunnel under Turkestanskiy mountain range is going on. • • Reconstruction and construction of road Dushanbe – Kulyab – Kalai Khumb – Khorog – Murgab – pass Kul’ma (Tajikistan’s border with PRC) with further exit to Karokorum highway – Karachi (exit to the sea) is going on. • • In the Eastern Pamir part of the road that connects Pamir route with Karokorum highway is built. Transport connection with Pakistan, India and countries of Asian-Pacific region is established. www.mfa.tj / www.visittajikistan.tj / www.tpp.tj

12. Railways: • • The total length of railway is 943 kilometers, of which 678 km are main railways. The main portion of the railways is located in the southern part of the Republic and it connects the capital city with the industrial zones of Gissar and Vakhsh Valleys and with the external world. • • Though most part of the interstate cargo is by railways but this type of transport didn’t receive proper development due to difficult relief conditions. • • The construction of the railway Kurgan-Tyube – Kulyab connecting the Kulyab region with the center of county has been completed. • • Regular trips on the Dushanbe-Moscow, Dushanbe - Astrahan’, Khujand – Saratov, Kulyab -Astrahan’, Dushanbe – Kanibadam, and Kurgan – Tyube - Kanibadam routes are conducted. • Air Transport: • • The air service is conducted through aircrafts provided by the state unitary aviation enterprise, Tojikiston, and other aviation enterprises from CIS countries. There are 2 large airports with field lengths of more than 3 km and 4 airports with field lengths over 2,5 km. • • Aviation enterprise “Tojikiston” conducts regular flights from Tajikistan to Munich, Istanbul, Sharjah, Delhi, Tehran, Urumchi, Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Ekaterinburg, Almaty, Bishkek and other world destinations. www.mfa.tj / www.visittajikistan.tj / www.tpp.tj

13. Pipeline Transport: • • The pipeline transportation in Tajikistan is insignificantly developed. The length of gas pipelines is 541 km and oil pipelines is 38 km. • Telecommunications: • • Tajikistan has 9 cellular operators in GSM and CDMA standards. These companies are CJSC «Babilon-M», CJSC «Indigo - Tajikistan», JV CJSC «Somoncom», CJSC «TT - Mobile», CJSC «М.ТЕКО», «Takom» LLC, CJSC «Telecomm Technology», «Babilon-T», CJSC «TK – Mobile» and other companies provide cellular services and internet services in the Republic. www.mfa.tj / www.visittajikistan.tj / www.tpp.tj

14. 8. Useful Links • Government and Parliament http://www.president.tj - Official site of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan http://www.majmilli.tj - Majlisi Milli Majlisi Oli http://www.parlament.tj - Majlisi Namoyandagon Tajikistan Public institutions http://www.mfa.tj - Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan http://www.met.tj - Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Republic of Tajikistan http://www.minfin.tj - Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Tajikistan http://www.medinfo.tojikiston.com - The Ministry of the Republic of Tajikistan http://www.stat.tj - The State Statistics Committee of the Republic of Tajikistan http://www.tpp.tj - Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of Tajikistan Banks http://www.nbt.tj - National Bank of Tajikistan http://www.agroinvestbank.tj - Agroinvestbak http://www.orienbank.com - Orienbank http://www.sodirotbonk.com - Tojiksodirotbank http://www.eskhata.com - Bank Eskhata www.mfa.tj / www.visittajikistan.tj / www.tpp.tj

15. Diplomatic missionshttp://www.rusembassy.tajnet.com - Russian Embassy in Tajikistan http://www.fco.gov.uk/ Embassy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the Republic of Tajikistan http://www.untj.org - Relations with the United Nations http://www.undp.tj - United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Legislation http://www.tpac.tj - Social Fund for Development of Arbitration Library http://www.aclib.tj - Central Scientific Library of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tajikistan Insurance companies, law firms http://www.lex.tj - Firm "Lex" http://www.lcg.tj - ZAO Lega Consulting Group www.mfa.tj / www.visittajikistan.tj / www.tpp.tj

16. Education, Science http://www.rtsu.tj - Russian-Tajik (Slavic) University http://tut.tj - University of Technology http://www.daad.tj - Education on the Internet http://www.iatp.tj - Education on the Internet www.mfa.tj / www.visittajikistan.tj / www.tpp.tj