DUSHANBE, August 31, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- Military and technical cooperation between Tajikistan and the North Atlantic Alliance was discussed here yesterday at a meeting of the First Deputy Defense Minister of Tajikistan, Lieutenant-General Ramil Nadyrov, with Mr. Robert Simmons, the NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Southern Caucasus and Central Asia, according to the Ministry of Defense (MoD).

Faridoun Mahmadaliyev, a spokesman for a MoD, told Asia-Plus today morning the sides also considered issues related to providing security in the Central Asian region, measures taken by Tajikistan to combat international terrorism and drug trafficking.

The current situation in Afghanistan was among major topics of the meeting as well, the spokesman said.

Mr. Simmons arrived in Dushanbe for a two-day working visit on August 30.   During his stay in Dushanbe, he is also scheduled to hold talks with a number of other high-ranking Tajik state officials to discuss cooperation between the North Atlantic Alliance and Tajikistan in combating terrorism and drug trafficking.

NATO announced the appointment of a special representative for Central Asia and the Caucasus as part of the alliance''s efforts to build closer ties with former Soviet republics in the strategically important region in September 2004.  Mr. Robert F. Simmons Jr. was appointed to this post with responsibility “for establishing high-level working contacts with regional leaders."