Insights into Tadjikistan — LM

Four key impressions remain from a personal trip to Dushanbe, the capital city of Tajikistan. In recent years Tadjikistan has become one of the most authoritarian states in the world.

Firstly, President Emomalij Rahmon is omnipresent through his personality cult. His portraits and slogans can be found on buildings and bridge overpasses in the capital and the surrounding area, as well as on large posters along the main roads.

Secondly, Dushanbe is being de facto reinvented in the course of a gigantic construction boom. The Soviet city has largely given way to new high-rise buildings. An urban middle class is present in the main streets of the city. This contrasts with the situation in the rest of the country, which remains economically weak and characterized by socio-economic problems.

Thirdly, the country appears to benefit comparatively little from the opening up of new trade routes as a consequence of the New Silk Road and the sanctions against Russia, as it is landlocked and not a member of the Eurasian Economic Union.

Fourthly, the country's business community is concerned about the EU's idea of confiscating Russian assets. They are openly asking whether the EU is sacrificing legal certainty for political goals and whether property is still safe in the EU.