DUSHANBE, April 8, 2009, Asia-Plus — Priorities of further cooperation between Tajikistan and the European Union were among major topics of a meeting visiting delegation of the European Parliament (EP) with members of the Majlisi Milli (Tajikistan’s upper chamber of parliament) that was held in Dushanbe on April 7.
Speaking a the meeting, Ms. Ona Jukneviciene, President of the EP Delegation to the EU-Kazakhstan, EU-Kyrgyzstan and EU-Uzbekistan Parliamentary Cooperation Committees and for relations with Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Mongolia, noted that they had come here to discuss cooperation issues and seek solution to one or another problem in order to promote further expansion of cooperation between the European Union and Tajikistan.
“We have already had talks with a number of high-ranking Tajik state officials and I think they were useful and will give a new impulse to development of our relations,” said Ms. Jukneviciene. “During the talks, we discussed issues related to economic, social and ecological situation in the country as well as the drug-trafficking and organized crime situation.”
She noted that during his recent visit to Brussels, President Rahmon had asked the European Union to provide assistance in various directions. “We are well informed of the situation in Tajikistan and will try to increase our support to your country in its hour of need,” the EP officials said.
According to her, the European Union has invested 550 million euros in Tajikistan’s economy over the years of the country’s independence. 30 percent of the EU 665 million euros aid to Central Asia’s states in 2009-2010 is intended for Tajikistan, Ms. Jukneviciene said.
In the meantime, representative of Estonia to the European Parliament, Ms. Katrin Saks, noted that according to information they had, an external aid to Tajikistan was not always used properly.
Ms. Jukneviciene said that the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between the EU and Tajikistan singed in October 2004 had been ratified by all member nations of the European Union except Greece to this date.
