DUSHANBE, February 10, 2010, Asia-Plus -- The Government of Switzerland established a New Small Action Fund for the support of small project initiatives in Tajikistan, according to the Swiss Cooperation Office in Dushanbe.

The Fund has an annual budget of approximately 56,000 U.S. dollars and will be administrated by the Swiss Cooperation Office in Tajikistan on behalf of the Embassy of Switzerland in Tajikistan based in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Small projects are defined as one-time support of sustainable initiatives with a focus on promoting dialogue among various religious confessions as well as between secular and religious societies. Other financed activities may include good governance, gender aspects and cultural diversity. The overall budget of such initiatives may vary between USD 5,000 to 10,000 per project.