Chairman-in-Office offers win-win partnership to Tajikistan

DUSHANBE, 7 June 2001 (OSCE) - The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Romanian Foreign Minister Mircea Geoana, today offered a partnership to Tajik authorities, inviting them to continue and strengthen OSCE values in the country. The OSCE offered to act as a catalyst between the dynamic evolution in other Euro-Atlantic organizations and Tajik concerns. As part of a visit to Central Asia, Mr. Geoana was in Dushanbe where he met the President, the Prime Minister, the Chairmen of both Chambers of the Tajik Parliament, as well as with representatives of political parties and movements, non-governmental organizations, national minorities and media outlets.

"Last December, the OSCE-Japan Conference on comprehensive security showed a positive response from the international community to Tajik concerns. Tajikistan has one foot in the door of international understanding. We offer to help you widen the path", said Mr. Geoana. He volunteered to help foster international community assistance to Tajikistan and the region. The OSCE Chairman-in-Office noted that the decade since independence in 1991 had been a particularly difficult period for Tajikistan, and that important progress had been made. He encouraged the Tajik authorities to continue to abide by OSCE standards in the fields of security and democracy. Mr. Geoana, asked Tajik authorities to help OSCE assist on various issues, such as strengthening public and civil services, securing adequate freedom of the media, fostering the protection of minorities, reinforcing an independent and impartial ombudsman system, as well as bolstering a constructive dialogue with opposition political parties.

On security, Mr. Geoana welcomed Tajik support for a regionally co-ordinated approach to countering terrorism and other cross-border threats (such as organized crime, trafficking in drugs, weapons, and human beings). He also invited Tajik authorities to follow up on last October's Tashkent Conference on regional security and stability, and offered the OSCE's expertise in the collection of small arms and light weapons.

On the human dimension, Mr. Geoana encouraged the continuation of political dialogue in the spirit of national reconciliation, which facilitated the peace process. He also supported efforts by the authorities to support the Tajik women's NGO sector. With local elections approaching, Mr. Geoana asked for the recommendations on the last parliamentary elections submitted by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) to be implemented.

On the economic front, Mr. Geoana stressed the close link between confidence-building, economic development and governance. "Good governance and transparency are key instruments for promoting economic growth and increasing investment", said Mr. Geoana.

As earlier in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, the OSCE Chairman in Office promoted a regional approach to tackle common problems. In this respect, he strongly supported the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's concept of a Trans-Asian Parliamentary Forum designed to bring together parliamentarians of Central Asia, as well as those from the Asian Partners for Co-operation to discuss various developments in Central Asia.

Concluding his various discussions and the development of the partnership concept, Mr. Geoana said: "You have to help us make your case stronger."

The OSCE has been present in Tajikistan since 1994. Its mandate includes supporting political reconciliation, democracy building and respect for human rights in Tajikistan. In particular, the OSCE maintains contact with and facilitates dialogue and confidence building between regionalist and political forces in the country. It promotes respect for human rights and monitors adherence to OSCE norms and principles. The OSCE also promotes ways and means to assist in the development of legal and democratic political institutions and processes.

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