Improving Tajikistan's Business Climate, One Transaction at a Time

In 2012, Tajikistan ranked 141st in the world in the Ease of Doing Business Index, a fact that Firdavs Mirzoev aims to change. Building on the knowledge and skills he gained through the LEAD program, Mirzoev returned to Tajikistan in 2011 and created an international law firm designed to assist companies looking to invest in Tajikistan. His connections in the U.S. laid the foundation for a partnership with an American lawyer based in New York to establish Nazrisho and Mirzoev, LLC, which works with foreign investors and businesses, as well as state and local authorities.

“Unfortunately, it is difficult for foreign investors and businesses to find qualified local lawyers in Tajikistan who could provide good quality legal services in English,” Mirzoev said. “What we are hoping to accomplish is to help our clients assess and minimize all legal risks associated with doing business in Tajikistan.”

Mirzoev participated in the first cohort of the LEAD program in 2010-11 and received his LLM from the St. Louis University School of Law. “It was a great opportunity for me to look at the Tajik legal system from the outside,” he said.

In addition to the individual transactions his law firm manages, Mirzoev continues to work toward his long-term goal of improving the investment climate in Tajikistan. As a member of the American Chamber of Commerce in Tajikistan (AmCham Tajikistan), a leading national business association, Nazrisho and Mirzoev, LLC works closely with the Executive Director to provide legal information and identify legal issues that negatively affect the business climate. Mirzoev hopes to apply the firm’s expertise to drafting new legislative acts in the future.

“I admit that this is a long and winding road, but I also hope that we would have enough strength and energy to reach our goals.”

In the meantime, Mirzoev’s impact is evidenced through the recognition he has gained in and around Dushanbe. Most recently, he was appointed to the position of Honorary Legal Adviser to the British Ambassador to Tajikistan, becoming one of the youngest such appointees in history.

The Legal Education and Development Fellowship Program for Tajikistan is a program of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) of the U.S. Department of State and is implemented by IREX in partnership with ABA-ROLI.