Russia’s Sverdlov oblast plans to participate in implementation of investment projects in Tajikistan.  

An official source within Tajikistan’s Consulate General in Yekaterinburg told Asia-Plus in an interview by phone that they, in particular, plan to build a center for storage, drying, sorting, packaging and logistics of vegetables and fruits in the Tajik southern province of Khatlon.  

This issue was reportedly discussed at a virtual meeting of the First Deputy Head of the State Committee on Investment and State-owned Property Management of Tajikistan (GosKomInvest) Khurshed Mirzo with Sverdlov Oblast Vice-Governor Vasililiy Kozlov that took place on January 29.  

The Tajik side was represented at the online-meeting by senior representatives of GosKomInvest Abndughaffor Jamolzoda and Shuhrat Yusufzod and Tajikistan’s General Consul in Yekaterinburg Zafar Saidzoda.  

The Russian side was reportedly represented by Vadim Tretyakov, the Minister of Investment and Development of Sverdolov Oblast, Oleg Aleksandrin, acting Minister for International and Foreign Economic ties of Sverdlov Oblast, Svetlana Terekhova, the Deputy Minister of Agro-Industrial Complex and Consumer Market of Sverdlov Oblast, Andrey Misyura, the Director General of the Joint-Stock Company (JSC) Korporatsiya Razvitiya Srednego Urala (Middle Urals Development Corporation), and other officials.    

The source further noted that it was noted at the meeting that Tajikistan’s fruits and vegetables are in high demand in the domestic market of the Middle Urals, however, the volume of their supplies and their representation still leave much to be desired.  

Therefore, some practical steps to improve the situation during the first half-year of 2024 were reportedly discussed at the meeting.