AKIPRESS.COM - Ayten Rustamova has been appointed as the Bank’s new Head of Office in Tajikistan, said the EBRD.

The new country head has been introduced to the authorities and EBRD partners, including private sector clients, during a visit to Dushanbe by an EBRD delegation led by First Vice President Phil Bennett.

Ayten Rustamova will be based in Dushanbe, where she replaces Richard Jones who has returned to EBRD London Headquarters. The EBRD also has a second office in the country, in Khujand, the main city in the north of Tajikistan.

Mrs Rustamova joined the EBRD in 2001. Most recently she worked as senior banker in the Bank’s Azerbaijan office in Baku, where she oversaw large infrastructure projects. She also has in-depth experience in financial institutions, local currency lending, financing of energy efficiency projects and small and medium-sized enterprises.

Ayten Rustamova said: “I am looking forward to joining the EBRD teams on the ground in Dushanbe and Khujand and contributing to the Bank’s work in Tajikistan. This ranges from support for farmers to projects helping the economy prepare for climate change and from the financial sector to energy and municipal services. As the EBRD prepares to celebrate 25 years of investment in the country, I am especially pleased to say that we are about to launch new programmes such as financing and advice for women entrepreneurs in Tajikistan.”

During a two-day visit to Dushanbe the EBRD delegation met with the President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rakhmon. They also held meetings with government ministers, the Governor of the National Bank of Tajikistan, the Mayor of Dushanbe, Tajikistan’s representative on the EBRD Board of Governors and representatives of the financial, business and diplomatic communities.

To date, the EBRD has invested €645 million (US$ 700 million) in various sectors of Tajikistan’s economy.