DUSHANBE, July 31, 2015, Asia-Plus — For the second time, Tajik craft producers will showcase their masterpieces at the leading international trade fair Ambiente in Frankfurt, which is planned to be held on February 12-16, 2016.
The International Trade Center assists the Tajik handicrafts to prepare for the participation at this leading international fair with financial assistance provided by the Government of Switzerland within its Trade Cooperation Program (TCP) in Tajikistan.
According to ITC Tajikistan, The potential Tajikistan representatives in the Frankfurt fair were instructed on preparation for the fair and guided on gaining from the participation in the fair during a workshop held today, on July 31, 2015 in Dushanbe.
The representatives of the Union of Craftsmen of Tajikistan, “Rukhom”, “Umed”, “Suman”, “Mumtoz”, “Jahonnek”, and “Sohsa Ozara” companies and organizations attended the workshop. In the workshop, ITC international consultant on marketing and design Ms. Gabriela Byrde informed participants on market opportunities and international design trends, and showcase results of the previous Tajikistan delegation in the Ambiente. Ms. Byrde, who is assigned to assist the Tajikistan delegation in preparation for the Frankfurt fair, says, “together with the further participants we are working on product selection and development, as well as on the assessment of companies’ export potential. In the workshop, the participants were given a first overview to the fair, the suitable product lines and how to be prepared to receive and answer the orders. Organizational issues where addressed, and design development, and how to make the best use of the fair in the company’s and Tajik handicraft specificities and uniqueness in face of the world competition were also in focus of our work with Tajik craftsmen.”
With over 4,700 exhibitors from about 90 countries, and about 145,000 trade visitors from 160 countries annually, Ambiente is the world”s most important consumer goods trade fair. During the fair, numerous events are expected to highlight trending industry topics and offer an ideal stage for networking and dialogue. Recalling the previous participation of Tajikistan in Ambiente in February 2015, Ms. Byrde says: “The first participation showed us our strengths and gaps, and what we should work on more and pay better attention to. It gave the Tajik delegation an opportunity to study offers of competing companies from other countries, as well as to get a good understanding of market requirements in terms of product design, quality, price level, and market expectations. We will analyze our first participation to hopefully bring better results from Frankfurt this time, though professional fair is a long term process to create sustainable business contacts.”
The International Trade Center since the beginning of its work in Tajikistan in 2002 annually supports its focused private sector to enter the foreign markets through improving products, expanding design and marketing skills, as well as establishing international contacts through participation at the international fairs.
The present project is component FOUR of the Trade Cooperation Program (TCP) in Tajikistan and aims to increase the export competitiveness of the textile and clothing (T&C) sector, by providing sector specific support to SMEs and relevant trade support institutions (TSIs), as well as supporting respective stakeholders in taking a strategic approach to the sector’s development. It will also explore the challenges and development potential of the tourism and handicraft sectors in Tajikistan, outlining relevant trade related technical assistance priorities.
Within its Cooperation Strategy for 2012-2015, Switzerland focuses on four sectors in Tajikistan; Health, Rule of Law, Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation, and Private Sector Development. The overall goal of Swiss Cooperation in Tajikistan is to support the transition process in the country through contributing to economic development and by helping build institutions and systems which are responsive to the population’s needs.
