DUSHANBE, September 11, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- The Ministry of Education (MoE) is to submit proposals on financing of activities of branches of three Russian universities in Tajikistan to the Russian side before the end of October this year, Asia-Plus has leaned from Noilsho Nouraliyev, a spokesman for a MoE. 

According to him, the branches of three Russian universities are expected to be opened in Dushanbe in 2009-2010.  

An agreement on opening of the branches of Moscow State University, Moscow Institute for Steel and Alloys and Moscow Energy Institute was reached during an official visit of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to Tajikistan on August 29 this year.  In the course of the talks, the sides coordinated and approved the plant of joint actions on the establishment of branches of the mentioned Russian universities in Dushanbe, the spokesman said.  

The plan provides for joint holding of a series of events on laying legal foundation and financing the branches.  “The sides have also agreed to not yet establish the branch of St. Petersburg State Mining Institute in Tajikistan and personnel for Tajikistan’s mining industry will still be trained at the Institute itself through allotment of an additional quota for Tajik students,” Nouraliyev said.