DUSHANBE , July 11, Asia-Plus -- Emirates telecommunications corporation “Etisalat” is entering telecommunications markets in Tajikistan , Uzbekistan and Armenia , the tribun.uz website quoted Mr. Jamal al-Jarwan, the director of the company’s foreign investment department, as saying at a recent news conference.  

“An open auction of a 90% stake in the Armenian telecommunications company “Armentel” belonging to Greeks has entered a decisive stage,” said Jamal al-Jarwan, “Etisalat also intends to purchase from 70% to 85% of shares of cellular operators in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan .  The company also plans to get the telecommunications markets of Mauritania , Syria and Yemen as well as a number of Western African countries.” 

In the meantime, the cellular operators in Tajikistan have not yet received any concrete proposals from this Emirates telecommunications corporation.   

Mr. Bakhtiyor Muminov, the “Babilon+M” Technical Director, has told Asia-Plus that he still know nothing about Arab investments in Tajikistan ’s telecommunications market.  Nevertheless, it is quite a normal thing, according to him.  “We should welcome any investments coming to our country,” Mr. Muminov said.  

Earlier, there were rumors in Dushanbe about sale of minoritarian package of shares of “Indigo-Tajikistan” to “Qatar Telecom” company.  But representatives from the “Indigo-Tajikistan” company have denied these rumors as “unfounded.  According to them, the telecommunications market in Central Asia is very attractive and many large international companies are bursting to get this market.  

ABOUT: Etisalat is a United Arab Emirates-based company engaged, together with its subsidiaries, in providing telecommunication services, media and equipment as well as related contracting and consultancy services to international companies and consortia. The Company is supported by versatile business divisions, namely eCompany, Ebtikar, Emirates Data Clearing House, Emirates Internet Exchange, Etisalat Academy , Etisalat University College , The Contact Center, UAE Lab and UAE Network Information Center . Its core products and services feature voice communication, wireless communication and data communication provided jointly with its subsidiaries, e-vision and e-marine. Emirates Telecommunications Corp has also stakes in Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications Company, Zanzibar Telecom Limited and Etihad Etisalat Company.