On May 20, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Leader of the Nation, Honorable Emomali Rahmon, received the Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Honorable Feridun Sinirlioglu.

The meeting discussed the current state and prospects of Tajikistan’s cooperation with this international organization.

«We consider it important to further develop our partnership with the OSCE,» — emphasized Honorable Emomali Rahmon at the beginning of the conversation.

In this context, attention was paid to bilateral cooperation in all three main dimensions of the Organization’s work — politico-military, economic and environmental, and human aspects.

The Head of State highlighted that «we are trying to ensure that the programs and projects implemented in Tajikistan meet the real needs of our people.»

The activities of the OSCE Program Office in Dushanbe and the OSCE College for Border Management were positively assessed.

In the politico-military dimension, the continuation of the implementation of projects to prevent cybercrime, combat illicit drug trafficking, improve customs procedures, and exchange information were identified as priorities.

Great attention was also paid to the number and quality of the Organization’s programs and projects in the economic and environmental sectors, including water and climate, the «green» economy, in particular «green» energy, and digital technologies.

Focus was also made on the preparation for two international conferences — on global water issues and combating terrorism and its financing — to be held in Dushanbe and New York in May and June of this year, respectively.

Expanding cooperation in the human dimension, taking into account the national priorities of Tajikistan, was also one of the main topics of discussion. In this context, talks were held on cooperation in the areas of human rights protection, improving the electoral system, ensuring gender equality, preventing domestic violence, combating human trafficking, developing youth policy, and strengthening the capacity of the media.

A detailed exchange of views also took place on important issues of the international and regional agenda.

In this regard, our Head of State, Emomali Rahmon, stressed Tajikistan’s firm position on the importance of using peaceful means to resolve any conflicts, stating, in particular: «I would like to emphasize once again that we consider negotiations and diplomacy to be the only effective means of strengthening the atmosphere of trust in international relations.»

In conclusion, both sides underscored their commitment to continuing and strengthening constructive cooperation.