DUSHANBE, March 11, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- A three-day conference entitled “Problems and Main Ways of Development of Education Sector in Tajikistan” was launched in Dushanbe yesterday.

According to the GTZ (German Agency for Technical Cooperation) Dushanbe Office, the conference, staged by GTZ in Tajikistan and the Ministry of Education (MoE), is the first of a series of events dedicated to discuss problems and ways to enhance the education sector in the country as well as issues related to development of Tajik society.

The main objective of these events is in discussing the most important problems facing development of Tajikistan and determining priorities of international assistance and cooperation, the source said.

GTZ has been working in Tajikistan on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) since 1995.  At first, cooperation has centered on rebuilding the economy and promoting the drawn-out, frequently interrupted transition process from a centrally planned economy to a competitive social market system.  Later, the focus of technical cooperation has shifted to a reform of the basic education system and support for economic reforms.  GTZ has maintained a coordination office in Dushanbe since 1996.

In cooperation with the international donor community, GTZ contributes towards Tajikistan’s economic development through the following projects: promotion of basic education; support for microfinance services in rural regions; support for legal and judicial reform; and food security program.