DUSHANBE, November 26, 2011, Asia-Plus — A Tajik-Afghan business forum is being held today in the settlement of Dusti, Qumsangir district in Khatlon province.
According to the UNDP CO Tajikistan, the event is organized by the National Association of Marketers and Managers of Tajikistan (NAAM) in cooperation with the Khatlon regional administration under support of the Tajikistan-Afghanistan Poverty Reduction Initiative (TAPRI) Project.
The forum has reportedly brought together local entrepreneurs, heads of farming units from border areas of Tajikistan and Afghanistan as well as representatives from partner and international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) to discuss ways to expand interaction and cooperation between entrepreneurs of the two countries, determine cooperation opportunities and work out recommendations for improvement of the environment for mutually beneficial cooperation.
Roundtables to discuss problems of cross-border cooperation and Tajik-Afghan business initiatives are being held on the sidelines of the forum, which is expected to result in adoption of resolution on expansion of cross-border cooperation and promotion of cross-border trade between Afghan and Tajik entrepreneurs.
The forum participants will sign the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation between Tajik and Afghan entrepreneurs on import and export of farm produce and adopt an appeal to the government bodies and entrepreneurs of both countries.
UNDP Tajikistan has launched the Tajikistan-Afghanistan Poverty Reduction Initiative (TAPRI) project funded by the Government of Japan this year to address challenges in selected borderland areas of southern Tajikistan and northern Afghanistan through three major outputs related to, Economic Development, Governance and Cross border Cooperation. Implementation of the “Tajikistan-Afghanistan Poverty Reduction Initiative” has been executed in the borderland districts of Tajikistan and Afghanistan, on both sides of the border, a wide range of activities will be undertaken directly by UNDP and in a partnership between UNDP and INGOs based in Tajikistan.
