DUSHANBE, February 14, 2013, Asia-Plus — The EU Special Representative for Central Asia, Ambassador Patricia Flor, visited Tajikistan on February 11-12.
Press release issued by the Delegation of the European Union to Tajikistan notes that she met President Emomali Rahmon, the Head of the State Committee for National Security, Saymumin Yatimov, the Minister of Justice, Rustam Mengliyev, the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mahmoudjon Sobirov, and representatives of civil society.
During her meetings Ambassador Flor reportedly discussed security issues, including the impact of developments in Afghanistan on Central Asia and the forthcoming first high level security dialogue between the EU and Central Asia.
The discussions also covered water and energy issues. Ms Flor underlined the importance of the World Bank”s recently published study on the winter energy shortage in Tajikistan and expressed the EU”s readiness to engage on measures in this framework.
The EU side welcomed accession of Tajikistan to WTO and was looking forward to future cooperation on WTO and development.
Ms Flor mentioned the importance to promote human rights and the rule of law in view of the next EU-Tajikistan human rights dialogue in March 2013.
The European Union, composed of 27 Member States, is the world’s biggest aid donor. Tajikistan gets the main share of bilateral assistance in the Central Asian region (€66 million for 2007-2010 and 62 million for 2011-2013) in support to sector programs, technical assistance and grants. It focuses on social protection, health and private sector development, underpinned by public finance management. Tajikistan also receives regional and thematic assistance in areas like border management and drug control (BOMCA/CADAP), education (TEMPUS, Erasmus Mundus), water / environment, migration, human rights and democracy (EIDHR), non-State actors (NSA) and SME development (CA-Invest). The total value of EU assistance disbursed to Tajikistan since 1992 is over €550 million.
