Day: January 11, 2022

The parties reportedly discussed the current domestic political situation in Kazakhstan and the prospects for the development of strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and the European Union.

At Charles Michel’s request, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev thoroughly informed him about the reasons of the current situation in Kazakhstan and the measures taken by the government. Tokayev spoke about the cruel attacks of terrorists and militants who tried to undermine the constitutional order and carry out a coup d'etat.

He described “the tragic events as an unprecedented act of aggression and assault” on Kazakhstan’s statehood. He added that the violent actions of terrorists caused numerous casualties among law enforcement officers and civilians, about 1,300 businesses were damaged, more than 100 trade centers, banks were attacked, about 500 police cars were burned. According to President Tokayev, the preliminary economic damage to the country may amount up to US$ 2-3 billion.

“I have no doubt that it was a terrorist attack. A well-organized and prepared act of aggression against Kazakhstan with the participation of foreign militants. They are mostly from Central Asian countries, including Afghanistan. There were also militants from the Middle East. The goal was to form a zone of controlled chaos in Kazakhstan forward by forceful seizure of power. That is why, the counter terrorism operation has been launched in Kazakhstan,” the Head of State said.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev reportedly gave a clear explanation about the deployment of the CSTO peacekeeping forces on Kazakhstan’s territory.

Tokayev stressed Kazakhstan’s commitment to comply with all its international obligations and reaffirmed the intention to further developing cooperation with the EU institutions and its member states.

For his part, Charles Michel reportedly noted the great usefulness of this virtual meeting. As he said, the meeting allowed him to learn more about the latest developments in Kazakhstan. He pointed out the importance of obtaining reliable information amid various misinterpretations of what is happening in Kazakhstan, according to the Kazakh president’s official website.

Source: Asia-Plus

“The exhibition of historical artifacts ‘Tajikistan — the Country of Golden Rivers’ in France, was a great source pride for me. My students, to whom I teach Tajik music and talk about our culture at the conservatory, heard not only from me, but were able to see the exposition with their own eyes and get acquainted with a piece of our history and culture,” said the Chairman of Cultural Society of Tajiks in France “Ravzana,» the famous violinist Shafak Farrukhzod following the closing ceremony of the exhibition.

For three months, residents of France and other European countries had the opportunity to get acquainted with the historical finds of ancient Sarazm, Takhti Sangin, paintings on the walls of ancient Panjikent, the world-famous monument of Ajina-Teppa, the Kofarnihon fortress, Hulbuk, rare gold and silver artifacts, and other items.

“Of course, we were very happy to bring our Tajik exhibit to the cultural center of France, to Paris, to one of the most famous museums — Guimet. I was very pleased when my French friends sent me photos of posters of the exhibition hung around Paris. A huge amount of work has been done to ensure that this exhibition is held at such a high level. Many thanks to all those who worked for more than one year and brought the matter to completion despite the coronavirus pandemic. In such a difficult time for everyone, when it was not easy to go outside, they managed to bring a whole plane of exhibits from Tajikistan,” she noted.

According to Farrukhzod, the opening was held at a very high level with the direct participation of the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon and the President of France Emmanuel Macron.

“I hope that this is only the beginning of cooperation between the two countries, and this positive wave will provide an opportunity for cultural exchange between the two sides. This is very pleasing, since there are many fans of our ancient history, culture and music in France, and thanks to such exhibitions and cooperation, their number is growing. After the situation with the coronavirus improves, I think that many visitors to the exhibition will want to visit Tajikistan and see all the beauty of our country,” said Farrukhzod.

The closing ceremony of the exhibition took place on January 8 in Paris.

Source: National information agency of Tajikistan

In Numbers

533 mt of food assistance distributed

443,969 people assisted

US$ 4.8 m six months (December 2021-May 2022) net funding requirements

Operational Updates

• WFP started delivering food to Afghanistan from Tajikistan in support of the emergency response for Afghan families facing hunger this winter. The first convoy of trucks left WFP warehouses in Dushanbe on 26 November, heading to Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province in the northeast. Some 1,200 mt of wheat flour procured from the region were delivered and used by WFP Afghanistan in its lifesaving operations.

• In a ceremony attended by the representatives of WFP, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan and the Committee for Emergency Situation and Civil Defense under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, WFP Representative and Country Director thanked the Government of Tajikistan for standing with the Afghan people at this critical juncture. The opening of a logistics corridor is extremely timely in helping WFP bring food into Afghanistan through border crossings.

• WFP continued to operate regular flights between Tajikistan and Afghanistan through the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) managed by WFP. With the support of the Tajik Government, flights are connecting Dushanbe with Kabul and other destinations in Afghanistan and are open to the entire humanitarian community.

• In November, the Emergency Preparedness Capacity (EPCI) Workshop was conducted with the support of WFP to focus on hazard analysis, early warning systems and national preparedness and response. Representatives from Tajik governmental ministries and agencies, including REACT members, participated in the workshop. The partners discussed the gaps and opportunities regarding these two focus area. The final EPCI report will be shared with key recommendations which will inform WFPs future capacity building strategies in emergency preparedness.

Source: World Food Programme

On January 11, 2022 the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Tajikistan to the Republic of Korea Yusuf Sharifzoda met with the Head of the World Green Development Organization Ban Ki-moon.

During the meeting the sides exchanged views on the consequences of climate change, the implementation of joint projects and the achievement of sustainable development goals.

The parties agreed to establish close cooperation in the implementation of international initiatives of Tajikistan in cooperation with international partners.

Source: Ministry of foreign affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan

The website of the Second International High-Level Conference on the International Decade for Action "Water for Sustainable Development, 2018-2028", which will be held June 6-9, 2022 in Dushanbe, has launched - www.dushanbewaterprocess.org

The conference, organized by the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan in cooperation with the United Nations and other partners, will serve as a central link in the process of preparation for the United Nations Conference on the Medium-Term Water Decade March 22-24, 2023 in New York. Tajikistan and the Netherlands are its co-chairs.

Source: Ministry of foreign affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan