DUSHANBE


, January 19, Asia-Plus — No case of bird flu has been registered in


Tajikistan


so far, Tajik Head Veterinarian Mullojon Amirbekov announced at a news conference in


Dushanbe


on January 18.    

“We have received reagents from


Russia


for carrying out diagnostic examinations and monitoring,” said Amirbekov, “Birds and eggs have been brought from nine districts of the republic for examination and they were tested negative for bird flu.”

Tajik chief veterinarian added that within the next few days, Tajik specialists would go to


Kazakhstan


for further confirmation of the results of those tests.  

“To help prevent the spread of bird flu


Tajikistan


has already passed two resolutions banning imports of chickens and other birds and poultry products from ten countries, including


Kazakhstan


,


Russia


,


Moldova


,


Turkey


and


Romania


,” Amirbekov said.  According to him, at present they are considering the possibility of temporally giving up import of poultry at all, «but this issue should be coordinated with other structures – customs services, health ministry and others.” 

At present


Tajikistan


is exporting poultry and poultry products from the


United States


,


Canada


,


Brasilia


; there is also permission for export of eggs from


Iran


.  

“We are currently preparing resolution banning sale of poultry products on the country’s markets,” Tajik head veterinarian said, adding that within the next few days, this resolution will be coordinated with the Ministry of Justice.    

He also noted that they had purchased a bulk of disinfecting means, which would be distributed to the large poultry farms in the country.    

“The work in this direction is ongoing and we have already prepared a letter to the government with proposal to taking other preventive measures,” Amirbekov concluded.    

Meanwhile, donor countries meeting in


China


have pledged $1.9 billion to fight bird flu worldwide, much more than expected.  The money includes more than $330 million from the


US


and more than $250 million from the European Union.  The funds will be largely spent on health and vet services aiming to prevent the H5N1 virus mutating and spreading from human to human.

The World Bank had asked donors for $1.5 billion to fight the virus, which has killed at least 79 people, mainly in

Asia

, since 2003.

DUSHANBE


, January 18, Asia-Plus – Access to news and culture about the


United States


just became easier in


Dushanbe


.

On January 18, U.S. Charge? d”Affaires to Tajikistan Thomas Armbruster, President of Tajik Academy of Sciences Mamadsho Ilolov, State Advisor to the President of Tajikistan Karomatullo Olimov and Library Director Alla Aslitdinova officially opened the third American Corner in


Tajikistan


in the Central Scientific Library in


Dushanbe


.

The goal of the American Corner program is to provide up-to-date information on


U.S.


politics, economics, culture, history, democratic traditions and society, and promote cooperation and mutual understanding between the


United States


and other nations.    The U.S. Department of State provided the library with over $50,000 worth of books, equipment, software, videos, CD-Roms, DVDs, and other informational materials about the


United States


. 

The American Corner in


Dushanbe


will serve as an important link between the people of


Tajikistan


and the


United States


, and is part of a long-term U.S. Department of State program to establish American Corners across


Tajikistan


. The first American Corner in


Tajikistan


was opened at


Kulob


State


University


in the Khatlon Region in April 2005 and the second at Asiri Public Library in Khujand. 

The U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe and the Central Scientific Library, along with the Mayor”s Office of Dushanbe and government representatives, worked together to establish this American Corner in Dushanbe. 

The library provided the Corner with the space and English-speaking staff to assist patrons interested in pursuing their interest in American culture, while the U.S. Embassy will provide speakers along with the books and other materials from the


United States


.

KHOROG, January 18, – According to information from the GBAO Agency for Statistics, last year’s agricultural product in Gorno Badakhshan from all categories of farms was only 96.5 million Somonis and decreased by 493,000 Somonis compared to 2004.  

Mulkamon Nazaraliyev, head of the GBAO Agriculture Administration, has told


Asia

-Plus that slump in the farm produce resulted from decrease in production of cereals by 8.7 percent, potatoes by 7.2 percent and other vegetables by 1.2 percent.  

“The main reason for decrease in production of cereals and potatoes is low-quality seeds of potatoes and cereals in Ishkashim District and damage caused by the flooding to 258 hectares of lands sown with cereals, vegetables and potatoes,” the Asia-plus interlocutor said.  

According to him, degradation of lands has also affected productivity of crops.

“At the same time, last year was good for production of fruits, stock-raising produce, poultry and bee-keeping,” said Nazaraliyev, “According to figures, compared to 2004 production of fruits in the region increased by 13.2 percent, meat by 2.7 percent, milk by 2.4 percent, and production of honey increased by 4.8 percent.”

DUSHANBE


, January 18, Asia-Plus – IFES-Tajikistan trained 23 highly qualified trainers on interactive methodology and Civic Education, so they could, in turn, carried out the training of 490 schoolteachers during winter holidays in secondary schools. The training sessions were organized by IFES in cooperation with the local NGO “Pulse” with support from USAID.

Director of Center for Strategic Surveys and Project Development Khayol Boboyev, Director of Retraining Institute Habitually Boboyev, Director of NGO “Pulse” Shodibek Qodirov, IFES SBA Coordinator Salohiddin Shamsiddin took part in the opening ceremony of TOT and made introductory speeches and wished good luck to participants.

The training of teachers in interactive teaching methodology, provided by IFES in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, is an important step in preparing the new generation to be future leaders and responsible citizens with participatory skills, so necessary in a modern democratic society.

Teachers participated in the trainings had also received a self-instruction teacher’s guide and civic education textbooks for their students. The Textbook consists of two volumes and an associated teacher’s guides for use with Grades 9, 10 and 11 secondary school students in


Tajikistan


presented in three languages: Tajik, Russian and Uzbek

.

These textbooks will facilitate the work of the teachers and the learning process of the students through updated texts, exercises, illustrations and tasks for students on relevant topics such as human rights, international rights, legislature, election systems and political parties, women in democracy, public opinion and mass media, the state and corruption, how and why to be active, as well as others.

31 trainings were conducted  for 46 districts of the country, including the Districts of Republican Subordination, Sughd and


Khatlon


Provinces


, and Gorno Badakhshan.