DUSHANBE, March 16, 2011, Asia-Plus — Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi yesterday met with France’s Ambassador to Tajikistan Henry Zipper de Fabiani, according to the MFA information department.
In the course of the talks, French ambassador briefed Tajik minister on the results of G8 ambassadors meeting on Afghanistan that took place in Paris on March 11. Water-and-energy resources ad railroad issues as well as human resources were among major topics of the meeting. The first two issues directly pertain to Tajikistan. In this connection, it was proposed to hold a seminar co-chaired by Tajikistan and Afghanistan in April or May this year, the source said.
French diplomat was quoted as saying that the meeting also pointed out an importance of Pakistan’s energy market for the water-and-energy issues and establishment of the Academy in Bishkek for the human recourses issues.
Zarifi expressed hope that G8 would support Tajikistan’s initiative. French ambassador noted that holding of the Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA) in Dushanbe in the second half of the current year would be an important event.
At the end of the meeting, Zarifi informed Henry Zipper de Fabiani of the forthcoming official visits of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon to a number of European countries and his visit to the European Parliament.
On the same day, Zarifi met with Mr. Pierre Morel, the EU Special Representative for Central Asia. The two discussed the current situation in Tajikistan, water-and-energy issues, the political situation in Kyrgyzstan and the security situation in Afghanistan.
Zarifi and Morel also considered a number of other regional issues being of mutual interest, including the next EU Troika-Central Asia meeting that will take place in Tashkent on April 7, 2011, the source said.
