DUSHANBE, May 7, Asia-Plus -- Representatives from US companies hold that biggest difficulty in conducting business in Central Asia is the excessive time and complexity of moving goods and people across borders, Paul Dyck, Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Commerce, remarked at the Central Asia Transportation Infrastructure Conference  in Dushanbe on May 7.

“Therefore, it is timely that we are here today to discuss the development of road and air networks, the business of transport in Central Asia, and how we can work together to improve the region’s transportation infrastructure,” said Mr. Dyck.  “To that end, the U.S. Department of Commerce is working to increase the U.S. private sector’s commercial ties with your countries, as well as working with your governments to create a favorable climate for foreign investment.”

“First, we are working to reduce trade and investment barriers through the Central Asia Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (known as the TIFA), which includes all five Central Asian countries, as well as Pakistan and Afghanistan as observers,” said Dyck, “Second, this conference itself is part of a larger regional economic integration initiative, supported by the US government, along with several international organizations.  The initiative has several components, including efforts to create a regional electricity market, improve customs regimes and border security, integrating telecom systems and more. 

“Together, we are promoting trade links between Tajikistan and Afghanistan, and, more broadly, between Central and South Asia,” Dyck said, noting that President Rahmon and his government strongly support this joint initiative.

The conference staged by the US Department of Commerce in cooperation with Tajik Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC) brought together transportation experts from Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to discuss current transportation issues in the Central Asian region and discuss potential for future cooperation and growth.  About 15 SABIT business training program alumni participated at the conference, which focused on the aviation/airport, road construction, and transportation sector.  

Speaking to journalists, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of US Department of Commerce noted that during his stay in Dushanbe he is scheduled to hold a number of meetings with Tajik officials.  He added that the U.S. Department of Commerce is working to increase the U.S. private sector’s commercial ties with Central Asia’s countries, as well as working with their governments to create a favorable climate for foreign investment.

 “During the meetings, the issue of Tajikistan’s joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) will be considered,” he said  

Asked about the end the United States pursues in the region, Mr. Dyck stressed that the US broader goal is to improve economic cooperation in the region.  According to him, the US companies want to invest, first of all, in development of the transportation infrastructure and market.  

He noted that a U.S.-funded, $36 million Tajik-Afghan bridge across the Panj River will be inaugurated this summer.  The bridge will be open 24 hours a day, with customs and border facilities on both sides, and the capacity to handle 1,000 vehicles per day.  “The bridge will shorten the distance to Tajikistan’s access to a seaport by several thousand kilometers,”  Sia Dyck.  “We hope that, one day, Ferghana valley melons and Khatlon strawberries will be sold in Karachi, Pakistan, because of this bridge,” he said.

According to him, a trade between the United States and the Central Asian region has amounted to nearly $2 billion.  Last year, a trade with Tajikistan reached $100 million, he said.