DUSHANBE, September 17, 2010, Asia-Plus -– Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi and U.S. Ambassador to Tajikistan Ken Gross yesterday officially signed Amendment #10 to the Letter of Agreement on Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement between the two governments.
According to the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe, the document will provide approximately $7 million in additional assistance to the Government of Tajikistan to counter and interdict the flow of narcotics into Tajikistan, improve Tajikistan’s borders, assist policing reforms, and improve Tajikistan’s justice system.
This funding will provide equipment to the Border Guards, the State Committee on National Security, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Drug Control Agency, the Ministry of Justice, and the Prosecutor General’s Office, and several other agencies. Funds will improve infrastructure and build capacity for law enforcement agencies. Training will include techniques for combating terrorism, crime, trafficking in persons and narcotics, English language, curricula development and teaching methodology. The funds will also pay for advanced forensics equipment and training.
The U.S. Embassy recently renovated Khirmanjo border outpost facility, which opened in July 2010, and conducted extensive building renovations at the MVD Academy and Border Guard Academy. The Embassy has also provided training courses for Government of Tajikistan lawyers, given by renowned international law experts, and funded and organized an operational trip of Tajik law enforcement officers to Dubai, which resulted in the repatriation of 27 victims of human trafficking.
The United States Government is committed to continue its support to the Tajik law enforcement agencies and looks forward to continued close cooperation in future joint projects. With this assistance, the U.S. Embassy’s International Narcotics and Law Enforcement program has provided more than $44 million in assistance to support Tajikistan’s security, rule of law and counter narcotics efforts since 1992.
