DUSHANBE, June 3, 2009, Asia-Plus — Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi yesterday received visiting OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Ambassador Knut Vollebaek.
According to the MFA information department, Zarifi noted that Tajikistan’s legislation guaranteed ethnic minorities living in the country freedom of choice of language for communication, religious freedom, learning in their native languages and necessary information in their native languages.
He also said that legal status of ethnic minorities living in Tajikistan was determined by the Constitution and other laws of the country as well as international conventions, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination ratified by Tajikistan.
In the course of the talks, the sides also discussed issues related to improvement of Tajikistan’s law on language.
Tajik minister noted that the law had been worked out and adopted in the Soviet time already with regard to political realties of that time and “it now does not meet requirements of society.” Therefore, a working group has been set up to work out the new law on language with regard to changes having taken place in society.
Ambassador Vollebaek confirmed intention to continue an active cooperation with the Tajik side on various projects of the Organization and expressed readiness to provide consultative assistance with working out the new country’s law on language, the MFA information department said.
