UN General Assembly
2004

made some economic progress. Eighty per cent of the population of Tajikistan still lives below the poverty line. Because of the lack of access to the sea, many regions of our country are cut off from the outside world, which results in our paying higher prices for imported goods and increased transit fees. Forty per cent of all budget revenues go to servicing external debt, which limits the Government’s capacity to meet the urgent needs of the population. Writing off a portion of the accumulated debt would make it possible for those countries to invest in education, health care and environmental protection, and, in the case of Tajikistan, could be helpful in rehabilitating the social sphere, which has suffered as a result of the civil conflict and natural disasters. However, the idea of exchanging debt for sustainable development has not yet garnered solid support among creditors. In that area, we still encounter inertia and a lack of political will. It is clear to us that the resolution of political issues, including those related to international security,