DUSHANBE, November 13, Asia-Plus — Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi has left for Berlin to attend a conference formally titled “Central Asia and Europe:: New Economic Partnership for the 21st Century”, which opened there today, according to Tajik Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).
The conference is co-organized by the Government of Germany and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).
The source at a MFA said that Zarifi will deliver a paper at the conference and hold a series of bilateral meetings on sidelines of the conference. He, in particular is scheduled to hold talks with German Federal Foreign Minister Dr Frank-Walter Steinmeier, EU Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighborhood Benita Ferrero-Waldner and His Highness the Aga Khan, Imam (Spiritual Leader) of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims.
We will recall that through its new Strategy for Central Asia and the Commission’s assistance program for the period of 2007-2013, the European Union (EU) defines the priorities for its cooperation with each Central Asian state according to its specific needs, requirements and performance, including human rights, good governance, democracy and social development. Within the new external assistance instruments based on the EU-budget 2007-2013 the EU has planned to double the financial means for assisting Central Asian States. Building upon and complementing the Commission’s assistance program, Member States of the EU are prepared to study specific bilateral partnership and twinning programs with individual Central Asian States as well as programs with a regional dimension based on an adequate and coordinated needs-assessment. Member States will support the Community’s programs to contribute to a more coherent and visible EU policy in the region.
