DUSHANBE, May 21, 2013, Asia-Plus  -- Tajik leader has drawn attention of member nations of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) to a number of regional investment projects.

Inaugurating the 38th Annual Meeting of the IsDB Board of Governors in Dushanbe, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon noted on May 21 that member nations of IsDB could participate in the Central Asia South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Project (CASA 1000) or in the project aimed at constructing the rail link connecting Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan.

According to him, the IsDB member nations could also participate in the project for construction of the highway Dushanbe-Kulob-Darvoz-Khorog-Karakorum Highway (KKH).

“These projects meet interests not only of the countries where they are being implemented, but also all the member nations of the Islamic Development Bank,” Tajik leader stressed.

President Rahmon expressed confidence that the IsDB member nations would provide assistance in implementation of those regional projects.  

The Islamic Development Bank is a multilateral development financing institution located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.  It was founded by the first conference of Finance Ministers of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC, now the Organization of Islamic Cooperation), convened December 18, 1973.  The bank officially began its activities on October 20, 1975.

The present membership of the Bank consists of 56 countries. The basic condition for membership is that the prospective member country should be a member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), pay its contribution to the capital of the Bank and be willing to accept such terms and conditions as may be decided upon by the IsDB Board of Governors.

Tajikistan joined the Islamic Development Bank in December 1996.  The active portfolio of the ISDB in Tajikistan currently consists of 23 projects with a net commitment of around 191.1 million U.S. dollars.