Tajikistan is a landlocked and mountainous country with a young, mostly rural population of 10 million. Mountains cover 93% of its surface, and 34% of its land is agricultural. 60% of Central Asia’s hydro-resources are found in Tajikistan.
In the last twenty years the country went through significant socio-economic reforms, which led to economic growth. However, Tajikistan’s GDP per capita remains the lowest in Central Asia and 27.4% of the population lives below national poverty line.
Our partnership
The EU supports Tajikistan towards sustainable development, in line with the National Development Strategy of the Republic of Tajikistan for 2016-2030 and the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), in force since 2010. In 2023 the EU and Tajikistan started negotiations on an Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA). The EU Strategy on Central Asia of June 2019, together with the related Council conclusions of June 2019, and the Global Gateway Strategy provide the EU’s overall regional framework for engagement.
The EU adopted a Multi-annual Indicative Programme (MIP) for the period 2021-27 under the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI-Global Europe). Under that framework, the EU allocated €91 million in funding to the partnership with Tajikistan over 2021-24. Tajikistan also benefits from a number of EU regional programmes and from investments under the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+), Global Gateway’s main financial tool.
Multiannual Indicative Programme 2021-2027 for Tajikistan - Annex
Our flagship initiatives
Team Europe in Tajikistan focuses its action on:
- Human development - to ensure Tajikistan’s economic independence and long-term resilience, the EU supports technical and vocational education and training in Tajikistan, critical for the creation of new employment opportunities
- Inclusive green and digital economy - to boost green economic growth and strengthen the Tajik job market
- Water, climate change and energy - to improve regional integrated water-energy resource management, promote food security, decent jobs, and growth and sustainable development in Central Asia, as well as increased investment for a green transition through a dedicated regional Team Europe Initiative. Tajikistan will benefit from specific EU actions:
- Energy production: constructing the Sebzor Hydropower Plant, together with Germany, to provide clean, reliable and affordable energy to people in Gorno Badakshan province and neighbouring Afghanistan, creating new jobs and generating income for local communities
- Energy sector reform: supporting Tajikistan reform its energy sector to address high network losses, high rate of uncollected payments, unfavourable regulatory frameworks for private investment, and limited cross-border electricity trading opportunities
- Water: supporting access to drinking water supply and sanitation in rural areas in the country
- Digital connectivity - to establish an enabling environment for digital connectivity, promote regulatory and legislative reforms, and last mile access for vulnerable communities and cybersecurity by following higher standards in terms of sustainability and inclusiveness through a dedicated regional Team Europe Initiative
- Transport - the EU also commits strongly to strengthen its engagement for improving transport connectivity along the Trans-Caspian Corridor with Central Asia, including with Tajikistan, following the recommendations of the Study on Sustainable Transport Connections between Europe and Central Asia.