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Germany and Tajikistan: Bilateral relations

08.12.2023 - Article

Political relations

Germany opened an embassy in Dushanbe in 1993 during the Tajik civil war, making it the first EU member state with an embassy in the country. Germany has supported the inner-Tajik peace and democratisation process from the start and remains actively committed to promoting the rule of law and respect for human rights. Official consultations between the two Foreign Ministries were agreed in May 2016; the most recent round of talks took place in Berlin on 17 May 2023.

Economic relations

With a landmass of 138,790 km2, Tajikistan is the smallest country in Central Asia. With an overall GDP of 9.96 billion euro (2022), it has the lowest per-capita GDP in Central Asia, at approx. 1000 euro (source: World Bank). While there is little trade between Germany and Tajikistan, it increased markedly in 2022. In 2022 Tajikistan ranked 156th among Germany’s trading partners, with trade worth 59.2 million euro (source: Federal Statistical Office). Structural problems in the banking sector, gaps in infrastructure, energy scarcity (e.g. electricity supply in winter) and legal uncertainty adversely affect the investment climate. The most important exports are precious metals and stones, as well as jewellery, followed by ores, slag and ash. Agriculture is the country’s most important domestic economic sector.

Development cooperation and projects with Tajikistan

For years, Germany was Tajikistan’s most important bilateral donor among the EU’s member states. Bilateral engagement focused on sustainable economic development, with a particular emphasis on creating jobs and better income opportunities, as well as on health, particularly tuberculosis control and mother and child health. Further commitments included the construction of local schools, disaster risk reduction and the rehabilitation and/or construction of hydropower plants.

In line with the BMZ 2030 reform strategy developed by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany will phase out its bilateral state development cooperation with Tajikistan; all current projects will be completed. Thanks to a number of co-financing commitments by the EU in the spheres of technical and financial cooperation, long-term funding has been secured for some of the projects.

The PATRIP Foundation, run by Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau, carries out development and infrastructure projects in the regions bordering Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Germany is also supporting a project for the prevention of violent extremism in Central Asia, including Tajikistan. This project provides support to Tajik authorities and civil society organisations working on reforms to prevent radicalisation and violent extremism.

With the initiative “Green Central Asia - Enhancing environment, climate and water resilience”, Germany has launched a project that focuses on the impact of climate change on regional security in Central Asia. The aim is to foster stronger regional cooperation (among the five Central Asian countries and Afghanistan), improve the exchange of information, and form connections with academia and civil society. Phase II of the initiative is currently scheduled to run until 2027.

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