DUSHANBE, May 3, Asia-Plus -- Japan’s company “Aiko” intends to cooperate with Tajikistan in the fields of tourism, visiting director general of the “Aiko” company Mashima Rioji (phonetically spelled) remarked at a meeting with Sharif Saidov, head of Tajikistan’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) in Dushanbe on May 2, according to the CCI deputy head Odil Sangov.   

Mr. Sangov says the “Aiko” company has been operating in Uzbekistan for three years and is ready to establish cooperation with Tajik businesspeople not only in the field of tourism but also in the fields of trade, construction of plants, etc.  

“Due to this company some 30,000-40,000 Japanese tourists annually visit Uzbekistan ,” the CCI deputy head said, noting that senior representatives from Japan ’s tourism agencies are supposed to arrive in Tajikistan soon to study tourism routes in the country.  

Besides, the “Aiko” company will have opened its representative office in Tajikistan this year, according to Odil Sangov.  

According to him, “Aiko” is one of largest suppliers of aluminum to Japan and also deals with trade in nonferrous metals.  The company is also engaged in charity and financing projects for training foreign students in the Japanese language.     

According to figures provided by the State Committee for Statistics, a trade turnover of Tajikistan with Japan in January-March 2006 has amounted to lUS$106,900, which is 86.6 percent fewer compared to the same period of last year.  Tajik exports to Japan have amounted to US$4,500 and imports from Japan have amounted to US$102,400 in the first quarter of 2006.