DUSHANBE, September 13, Asia-Plus - Tajik delegation will attend a two-day business forum titled “Foreign Trade Bridge between Turkey and Eurasia” that will be held in the Turkish city of Istanbul from September 17-18.  The Confederation of Turkish Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON) will hold this meeting.   

Deputy Industries Minister, Abdukarim Hikmatov, told Asia-Plus Communications Minister Said Zuvaydov heading a government delegation will represent Tajikistan at this forum in Ankara.  The delegation will stay in Turkey till September 21.  During their stay in Turkey Tajik specialists will hold a series of talks with Turkish businessmen, senior representatives from associations being members of TUSKON and visit a number of industrial enterprises in this country.  

According to Hikmatov, Tajikistan Ministry of Industry intends to submit for consideration to Turkish businessmen a number of projects for launching cotton-ginning factories in Tajikistan.  

Hikmatov also noted that only 13 percent of the cotton Tajikistan produces is processed into manufactured goods, while the remainder is exported for manufacturing outside the country.  

 “This year, Tajikistan has adopted a program aimed at development of light industry and in accordance with this program, Tajikistan intends to process the whole volume of cotton into manufactured goods by 2015,” the Tajik official said.  

Under this program the government should drum up US$320 million for development of the light industry.  

“Tajikistan hopes for participation of Turkish businessmen in investing in the construction of cotton-ginning factories in Tajikistan,” Abdukarim Hikmatov concluded.