DUSHANBE, March 30, 2011, Asia-Plus — The visit of U.S. Ambassador to Tajikistan Kenneth Gross and British Ambassador to Tajikistan Trevor Moore to Rasht Valley (eastern Tajikistan) is going on.
The purpose of the visit that started on March 29 is for the diplomats to get acquainted with the progress of projects that are being implemented within Rasht Valley under financial support of the U.S. and British governments.
Ambassador Gross told reporters that are accompanying the diplomats on their trip to Rasht Valley that several U.S.-sponsored projects were being implemented in Rasht.
Under one of such projects, the Embassy’s Department of State’s Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) is collaborating with law enforcement agencies and the public of the region.
The United States also assists youth from vulnerable families of the region with learning English and the basics of democracy. Under this project, the English learning centers have been set up in districts of Rasht Valley. Today, the U.S. and British ambassadors visited one of such centers in the village of Navdeh, Rasht district. Fifteen local girls are learning English at this center.
Ambassador Gross noted that the U.S. Government also funded the emergency relief project in the region. Today, the U.S. ambassador will attend a ceremony of opening of the bridge across the Obdara River that has been restored in the framework of the mentioned project.
British Ambassador Moore, for his part, noted that work on laying out gardens have been carried out in the area under support of the British Embassy in Dushanbe. He also noted that the British Government has also funded projects for repairing and rehabilitating irrigation system in the region.
