EBRD appoints new Head of Tajikistan

AKIPRESS.COM - Rika Ishii has been appointed Head of Tajikistan for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). She will be based in the country's capital, Dushanbe, and is due to take up her duties on 1 September 2021. Ms. Ishii said: "I am very excited to return to Central Asia, where I used to work before. The EBRD has been very active in Tajikistan in recent years, promoting better access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises, supporting women entrepreneurs and upgrading essential infrastructure. I would like to use my skills and experience to enhance our engagement with the country."
A Japanese national, Ms. Ishii joined the Bank in 1997 and served as Senior and Lead Sector Economist for a number of economies in which the EBRD invests. Most recently, she covered the Western Balkans as Lead Regional Economist, based in Belgrade.
Ms. Ishii succeeds Ayten Rustamova, who has been appointed Regional Head of the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
To date, the EBRD has invested €765 million through 144 projects in Tajikistan's economy.