DUSHANBE, October 19, 2012 Asia-Plus — U.S. Ambassador to Tajikistan Susan M. Elliott and Rustam Nazarov, Director of the Drug Control Agency (DCA) under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, recently signed a bi-lateral agreement in which the U.S. Government (USG) will provide $9.5 million to support programs related to border security, law enforcement reform, counter narcotics, trafficking-in-persons, and justice sector development in Tajikistan.
According to the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe, the USG”s financial assistance will be used to curb the illegal transport of goods and people across Tajikistan’s borders and support a comprehensive police reform program through community policing partnerships and training for law enforcement agencies. Tajik National University Law School will also receive funding to improve the skills of future legal professionals.
The USG will provide an additional 1 million U.S. dollars from the Central Asia Counternarcotics Initiative (CACI) to enhance the DCA’s capacities to investigate and arrest significant drug traffickers. These funds will support increased cooperation between the DCA and CACI-related units operating in Afghanistan and neighboring countries. Within this program, the USG will provide infrastructure, training, technical assistance, and support to the DCA and its specialized units.
The United States Government is committed to continuing its support and assistance to the people of Tajikistan. Since 1992, the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe has provided more than $984 million in programs that support Tajikistan’s democratic institutions, health care, education, economic growth, border security, and counter narcotics initiatives.
