DUSHANBE, March 4, Asia-Plus  -- Said Hamid Azimi,  the head of the Branch of Iran’s Imam Khomeini Imdad Committee (Imam Khomeini Relief Committee or IKRC) in Tajikistan, today held a number of talks with Tajik officials on occasion of the 14th anniversary of IKRC’s activities in Tajikistan.  

Azimi, in particualr,  held meetings with Deputy Labor and Social Protection Minister, Subhon Ashourov, and Deputy Interior Minister, Abdujabbor Shamsov.  

Speaking to reporters, the deputy labor minister noted that during the meeting they had discussed the committee''s activities in Tajikistan, including vocational training courses organized under support of IKRC in various regions of the country.  He noted that they had reached an agreement on launching an enterprise to process precious and semi-precious stones in the Sughd province.   

Ashourov noted that in all, wedding ceremonies for 1,000 couples from vulnerable families are supposed to be arranged in Tajikistan under support of IKRC.  In 2006-2007, wedding ceremonies for 530 couples were arranged.    

Deputy Interior Minister, Abdujabbor Shamsov, expressed gratitude to the committee for $250,000 worth of assistance provided by IKRC to Tajik police in 2006 and 2007.  Shamsov noted that the ministry was ready for cooperation with Iranian colleagues.

For his part, Azimi confirmed the committee’s intention to extend assistance to the vulnerable sections of the Tajik population.   

The same day, Mr. Azimi met with Khairinisso Yusufi, the chairperson of the Committee for Family and Women’s Affairs under the Government of Tajikistan.