DUSHANBE, September 20, Asia-Plus — During his two-day visit to Kyrgyzstan, President Emomali Rahmon on Tuesday afternoon met in Bishkek with Marat Sultanov, Chairman of the Zhokorgu Kenesh (Kyrgyzstan’s parliament).
According to presidential press service, the two discussed present state and prospects of further expansion of cooperation between the parliaments of the two countries both in bilateral format and in the framework of the OSCE, CIS and other regional and international organizations.
Yesterday afternoon, President Rahmon held a short meeting with representatives of the Association of Ethnic Tajiks of Kyrgyzstan named after Abuabdullo Rudaki and a group of Tajik students studying at higher educational institutions in Kyrgyzstan.
The meeting focused on problems of education and provision of Tajik-language schools in Kyrgyzstan with text books and other educational supplies.
During the meeting, it was noted that more than 40,000 ethnic Tajiks now live in Kyrgyzstan and more than 5,000 students are studying at 10 Tajik-language schools there. Besides, more than 60 Tajik nationals are currently studying at Kyrgyz higher educational institutions; Kyrgyzstan annually allots Tajikistan a quota of 25 students.
Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Education and Science has purchased more than 8,000 textbooks on the Tajik language by this academic year, presidential press service said, noting that teachers’ training institutes in the Kyrgyz cities of Osh and Batken have faculties of Tajik language and philology some.
During the meeting, President Rahmon noted that over the past five years, 700 ethnic Kyrgyzs from Tajikistan had been sent to Kyrgyzstan to study at higher educational institutions.
The head of state also gave specific commissions to tackle problems facing the Tajik Diaspora in Kyrgyzstan. He ordered to allot Kyrgyzstan an annual quota of 50 students.
Rahmon said that under an agreement reached between the leaders of the two countries Tajikistan will provide the Tajik-language schools in Kyrgyzstan with all necessary educational supplies and Kyrgyzstan will provide the Kyrgyz-language schools in Tajikistan with textbooks and education supplies.
2,000 fiction and scientific books as well as musical instruments and stage requisite were donated to ethnic Tajiks living in Kyrgyzstan.
