John Heathershaw speaks at inaugural meeting of All-Party Parliamentary Group on Tajikistan

On 1 April 2014, John Heathershaw spoke at the inaugural meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Tajikistan at the Houses of Parliament.  Heathershaw was the guest of the groups co-chairs Baroness Vivien Stern and Nigel Mills MP.  Also in attendance were the Ambassador of Tajikistan to the UK, the Ambassador of the UK  to Tajikistan and ExCAS research group member Ed Lemon.  Heathershaw’s talk ‘Tajikistan’s economic prospects and problems: hydropower, aluminium production and electricity exports’m, addressed current developments in Tajikistan and particularly the country’s progress as a candidate member of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).  Tom Mayne of the NGO Global Witness spoke from the floor on this question urging Tajikistan to move forward by agreeing an EITI workplan.  The group discussed the steps needed for Tajikistan to achieve validated status and disclose beneficial ownership of the Tajikistan Aluminum Company and its off-shore vehicle TML, registered in the British Virgin Islands.