DUSHANBE, October 18, 2011 Asia-Plus — President Emomali Rahmon yesterday afternoon met here with the Minister of State for International Development of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Alan Duncan.
President Rahmon said that the United Kingdom is one of important partners of Tajikistan in Europe and noted that Tajikistan attaches significance to expansion of cooperation with the United Kingdom in various fields, the presidential press service reports. He also expressed gratitude to the British Government for technical support provided to Tajikistan.
In the course of the talks, the two reportedly also discussed issues related to expansion of regional cooperation in Central Asia the current situation in Afghanistan.
We will recall that Mr. Duncan arrived in Tajikistan on October 17 for a three-day visit. DFID Tajikistan reports that during the visit, Mr. Duncan, who is the member of the UK Parliament will meet with the high level officials of Tajikistan and will have a field visit to the south of the country.
The main objectives of the visit are to underline the UK Government’s intent to remain engaged with, and supportive of, Tajikistan and to encourage deepening of economic reform in Tajikistan.
Alan Duncan was appointed as Minister of State for International Development on May 13, 2010.
Alan Duncan’s great passion for international affairs is inspired by a lifetime of global voyage and discovery. Born in 1957, raised in Hertfordshire and across the world tracking his father’s RAF postings, he went onto study at Oxford and Harvard. His early career as a crude oil trader spanned the Middle East, South East Asia and Singapore, where he lived for two years.
Alan Duncan has kept a constant watch on the wider world throughout his parliamentary career, reflected in his appointment as shadow Secretary for International Development from 2004 to 2005. He is personally committed to DFID’s central goal of combating global poverty and has long been an advocate of well-managed, effectively-spent aid.
Alan Duncan joined Parliament in 1992 as the Conservative Member for Rutland and Melton. Five years later he was appointed Vice-Chairman of the Conservative Party and Parliamentary Political Secretary to the Rt. Hon. William Hague MP.
He has held a number of positions in the Shadow Cabinet, most recently as Shadow Secretary for Trade Industry and Energy (2005). In 2009, Alan Duncan was appointed Shadow Leader of the House and shortly after, he became Shadow Minister for Prisons and Probation.
