Last Friday on August, 29th in Dushanbe the actions, which took place in the capital of Tajikistan within the limits of the Shanghai organization of cooperation have come to the end. With state and official visits the Republic of Tajikistan have visited the Head of Peoples Republic of China Hu Jintao and the president of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medevedev.

Within the limits of the summit to Tajikistan also arrived presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. Visitors and observers were the head of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai and president of IRI Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, delegations of India, Mongolia and Pakistan.

What are economic results of the last summit, what shall wait Tajikistan on results of this meeting?

VIII session of Council of heads of the states-members of the Shanghai organization of cooperation took place in Dushanbe on August, 28th. Here its brief results. Dushanbe declaration of heads of the SCO states-members, the Decision of Council of heads of SCO states-members “About the statement of Regulations about the status of the partner on SCO dialogue”, the Decision of Council “About the statement of the Report of SCO General Secretary about activity of the Organization for the last year”, the Decision of Council “About the statement of the Report of Council of regional antiterrorist structure of SCO in 2007” have been signed, and also the Joint Communique was accepted. Within the limits of session of Council of heads of SCO states-members have been signed the Intergovernmental Agreement “About struggle against illegal circulation of the weapon, an ammunition, and explosives”, the Memorandum “About bases of partner relations between Interbank SCO association and the Euro-Asian bank of development”, the Agreement “About the order of the organization and carrying out of joint antiterrorist doctrines”. SCO Presidency has passed from Tajikistan to the Russian Federation.

Russia

A number of the important agreements including economic, have been signed on results of official visit of the president of Russia Dmitry Medvedev to Tajikistan.

Tajikistan and Russia are going to strengthen interaction in military and military-technical areas, is spoken in the joint statement signed on August, 29th in Dushanbe by presidents of both the RТ and Russian Federation Emomali Rahmon and Dmitry Medvedev.

On results of negotiations parties have signed a number of the bilateral documents directed on the further development of the Tajik-Russian relations. In particular, the joint statement of two presidents, and also a number of intergovernmental agreements - the agreement between the governments of two countries about mutual protection of the rights to the results of intellectual activity, used and received during bilateral military-technical cooperation have been signed; the agreement between the Ministries of culture of the RТ and the Russian Federation about cooperation in the field of culture; the agreement between the Ministries of Agriculture of the RT and the Russian Federation about cooperation in agriculture; the agreement between the government of the RT and the government of the Russian Federation about creation and activity of the International research center “Pamir-Chakaltay”, and also the Memorandum of interaction between Open Society “EEU of Russia” and the Ministry of Power and Industry of the RТ in development of new power projects in the territory of the RТ.

One of the central places during negotiations of the heads of the states has been discussion of questions of expansion and a deepening of trade and economic cooperation. Also questions of principle of the Russian-Tajik military and military-technical cooperation were in detail discussed, including the big attention has been given to functioning of 201st Russian military base in the RТ.

The parties also have considered questions of cooperation in humanitarian sphere, first of all, interaction in the field of education. Speech, in particular, went about opening in Dushanbe under the request of the Tajik side of branch of the Moscow state university by the name of M. Lomonosov and branches of some other Russian high schools.

 “Priority value has development of interaction in hydropower sphere. The important event becomes realization of the joint scale project on construction of Sangtuda HPS-1, which full commissioning is planned for the end 2008 - the beginning of 2009. Interest in realization of other projects in the given sphere, including construction of Ragun HPS is confirmed”, - it is marked in the joint statement.

By the way, about water-power engineering. “Inter EEU of Russia” can participate in the civil-engineering design in Tajikistan of three HPSs with general capacity in nearly 700 МВт. Within a week the working group for discussion of the Technical and Economic Assessment of the project will be created. However experts mark complexities in achievement of arrangements with authorities of Tajikistan, citing as an example slipping civil-engineering design of Ragun HPS, - writes Russian “Kommersant”. - On results of visit of the president Dmitry Medvedev to Tajikistan, Russia had a prospect of expansion of participation in local electric power industry. As the head of Open Society “Inter" has informed on Friday Evgeniy Dod, who Reuters quotes, the company can participate in the civil-engineering design on the internal rivers of Tajikistan of three HPSs with general capacity in nearly 700 МВт. “This week the Tajik side has transferred to us materials on stations”, - mister Dod has explained. As he said, within a week the working group for discussion of the Technical and Economic Assessment of the project will be created. “We have both construction brigades, and contractors, - has noted the top manager. - And we understand how to work in Tajikistan”.

According to a "Ъ" source, close to “Inter” management, the company will try to enter into projects on conditions of reception of a share in capitals of stations. “Inter” have refused more detailed comments.

In Tajikistan “Inter” already builds Sangtuda HPS with capacity in 670 МВт. Under intergovernmental agreements between Russia and Tajikistan construction of HPS should come to the end on April 1st, 2009. “Inter” has created essential base in Tajikistan. The company managed to establish mutual relations with authorities of the republic. Participation in civil-engineering designs of three HPSS can become ground for realization and other projects”, - speaks the member of board, director on analytical work of the Euro-Asian Bank of Development Vladimir Yasinsky (bank plans to enclose till 2010, of $1 billion in the energy projects). The head of a department of researches of electric power industry of Institute of problems of natural monopolies Natalia Porohova adds that Tajikistan is “one of the most attractive countries for realization of projects in sphere of water-power engineering”. According to the expert, the rivers of the country possess a unique hydraulic engineering characteristic, which provides the lowest in the world price for development of the electric power”. “The hydro-potential of the country is estimated in 400 billion kw/h., but now it is used only on 5-7 %”, Vladimir Yasinsky specifies.

At the same time there are problems with the largest Tajik project. In 1994 the countries have agreed about joint construction of Ragun HPS with capacity in 3,6 Gbt. Later “Rusal” has joined the project, but it had a conflict with authorities. The parties have not agreed about height and type of a dam, and also about an estimation of already constructed objects. As a result in 2005 the parliament of Tajikistan denounced the agreement. Russia thus did not leave from the project officially, and negotiations on it proceed (“Rusal” successor can become “Inter”) but now it is still ineffectual. In Natalia Porohova's opinion, the same risks arise at realization of any hydropower projects in Tajikistan. Besides, the expert marks, that there is no deficiency of the electric power in the country, therefore to begin new projects it is necessary only after arrangements with potential consumers, including with other states”, - concludes the edition.

Meanwhile, in opinion of the Tajik political scientists, within the limits of official visit Ragun question was not solved.

- Russia has once more got off foggy formulations about “interest” in this project, and not having told unequivocally “yes” or “not”, - independent Tajik expert Anvar Kamolov speaks. - It is obvious, that the format of the international consortium does not arrange Russia, what the plenipotentiary ambassador of the Russian Federation in the RТ Mr. R. Abdulatipov earlier declared. It is important to recollect also D. Medvedev's statements that Ragun will not be constructed from the budget funds of Russia. So this question has again hung in air.

... Within the limits of meeting of Emomali Rahmon and Dmitry Medvedev the parties also have noted the further escalating of trade and economic cooperation and realization of mutually advantageous projects in fuel and energy branch, including realization prospecting works together with Open Society “Gazprom”, development and operation of deposits of natural gas in Tajikistan.

Rahmon and Medvedev have emphasized urgency of development of cooperation in innovative, mountain-metallurgical, building and transport areas, and also in spheres of telecommunications, manufactures of food stuffs and processing of agricultural production.

China

More productive was E. Rahmon's meeting with the Chinese colleague. At once 13 documents have been signed on August, 27th in Dushanbe on results of negotiations of delegations of Tajikistan and China in the expanded structure.

The heads of two countries Emomali Rahmon and Hu Jintao have signed Joint declaration of the RТ and the Peoples Republic of China on the further development of relations of good neighbourhood, friendship and cooperation.

Also a number of intergovernmental documents, in particular, the Program of cooperation between the RТ and the Peoples Republic of China for 2008-2013; the Report on an exchange of instruments of ratification on friendship and cooperation; the Agreement between the Tajik State National University and the International office on studying of the Chinese language; the Agreement on avoidance of the double taxation and prevention of evasion from payment of taxes to incomes and the capital; the Frame agreement on expansion and a deepening of cooperation between the RТ and the Peoples Republic of China; the Agreement between governments RT and the Peoples Republic of China about technical and economic cooperation; the Act of delivery and reception of the technical help of the Peoples Republic of China at a rate of 40 million yuans; the Exchange of written letters between the ministries of economic development and trade of the RТ and commerce of the Peoples Republic of China about transfers of the interest-free credit at a rate of 50 million yuans; The agreement between governments of the RT and the Peoples Republic of China about the international automobile communication, the Cooperation agreement between the government of the RT and Export-import bank of China, the Agreement between State savings bank of the RT “Amonatbank” and Bank of development of China, and also the Memorandum of mutual understanding between governments of the RT and Chinese mountain-mining company “Zi Cinn International” have been signed.

The first practical result of a meeting - the Memorandum of mutual understanding between the Ministry of power and industry of the RT and Chinese corporation “Sinohydro” about construction of “Nurabad HPS-2” on the river Obihingou is signed on August, 27th in Dushanbe. As have informed in the Ministry of Power and Industry, in the document readiness in realization of projects of development of power on the territory of Tajikistan and the arrangement on joint research in development of the Technical and Economic Assessment on power objects in the RТ is designated.

According to the signed document, the Chinese company incurs obligations on designing and construction of Nurabad HPS-2 on a turnkey basis, including a two-chain transmission line in 220 кВ from the open switching centre in 220 кВ of Nurabad HPS-2.

In the memorandum it is noted, that the Chinese company will perform works on designing and construction of HPS at the decision the Tajik party of questions of financing of the project.

“Settlement cost of construction will be certain after preparation of the Technical and Economic Assessment and its subsequent examination. For realization of the given memorandum the parties will conclude the separate developmental contract on the Technical and Economic Assessment and construction of HPS”, - have noted in the Ministry.

The memorandum of mutual understanding between the ministry of power and industry of the RT and the Chinese company “Yunnan Phosphate Chemical Group Co., LTD” also has been signed on August, 27th in Dushanbe. As have informed in the Ministry of Power and Industry, the parties have expressed readiness in realization of projects on development of the chemical industry, extraction and processing of useful mineral fertilizers in the territory of Tajikistan. “The parties have agreed about creation of joint venture on the basis of Isfara Open Company “Khimzavod” on manufacture of ammoniac saltpeter on the basis of rational technical and economic conditions”, - has informed a source, having noted, that according to the Memorandum the Ministry will assist in creation and registration of joint venture when due hereunder.

Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Iran

On August, 29th the tripartite meeting of the heads of the states of Tajikistan, Iran and Afghanistan took place. The cheads of three friendly neighbouring states – Emomali Rahmon, Mahmoud Ahmadonejad and Hamid Karzai have discussed a number of projects on tripartite and regional cooperation for which realization there is a legal base.

During a meeting it has been underlined, that realization of joint projects in sphere of construction of roads, tunnels and automobile bridges, the railways connecting three countries, high-voltage electric mains from Tajikistan to Iran and Pakistan through Afghanistan promote increase of well-being of people of region.

The parties supported idea about creation of the uniform center on attraction of investments into economy of three countries.

On results of negotiations it has been signed two documents on tripartite cooperation and one document between Tajikistan and Iran - it is a Memorandum of tripartite cooperation in sphere of power; the Memorandum of end of civil work on an automobile tunnel “Istiklol” between Tajikistan and Iran; the Joint statement of the president of the RТ Emomali Rahmon, the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the president of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai on results of a meeting.

Let's remind, the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, performing at SCO summit as the observer, has suggested the countries-participants of the organization to transfer all calculations between the countries-participants on currencies of the countries of region. In his opinion, in this case the greatest part of foreign currency reserves of the countries- participants will be reliably protected and increased.

“As to introduction of SCO currency, the countries should consider an opportunity of development of the long-term program for introduction of uniform currency and its turnover”, - the Iranian leader has noted. M. Ahmadinejad has suggested creating the bank of the organization.