DUSHANBE, November 19, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- Prospects of further expansion of bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and Germany in the field of agriculture were the focus of a meeting of Agriculture Minister Qosim Qosimov with German Ambassador to Tajikistan, Ms. Doris Hertrampf, in Dushanbe on November 18, according to press service of the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA).

In the course of the talks, Qosimov and Ms. Hertrampf considered issues related to cooperation on enhancement of plant growing, animal husbandry, fishery, and poultry in Tajikistan as well as launch of joint ventures for processing farm produce and development of Tajik farming units.     

During the meeting, Qosimov expressed gratitude to the Government of Germany and the Weihenstephan Higher School in Bavaria for financial support and retraining of specialists for a MoA.  He stressed a special role of Germany in reorganization of agrarian sector in Tajikistan.  

            For her part, Ms. Hertrampf expressed confidence that bilateral cooperation between Germany and Tajikistan would expand and the Germany aid program in an amount of 36 million euros for supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, including farms, signed in Dushanbe recently would promote further expansion of cooperation between the two countries, the press service said.  

            In the course of the talks, the two also touched upon the issue of improvement of the irrigation system in Tajikistan.  

German diplomat expressed hope that the MoA would take an active part at the World Agricultural Fair, Green World, that would be held in Germany in February 2009.