DUSHANBE, September 28, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- Tajik MPs plan to make amendments to the country’s law on environmental protection, Rustam Latipov, the head of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) Commission on Ecology, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.

According to him, the amendments will take into account all norms of international law and changes that have taken place in the country’s socioeconomic life since 1993, when the country’s environmental protection law was adopted.  “Parliamentarians are expected to initiate adoption of amendments to the law next year,” Latipov noted.

The current environmental protection law was adopted 17 years ago and although amendments have been made to the law seven times over the past period, it requires serious improvement, MP stressed.

Asked about statements by Uzbek parliamentarians about Tajik enterprises’ effect on the ecological situation in the region, Latipov said that the Majlisi Namoyandagon ecology commission has not received any official letters or documents on this subject from the Uzbek authorities so far.  He added that Tajik MPs recently visited Sughd’s districts bordering Uzbekistan and revealed negative impact of Uzbekistan’s industrial enterprises on ecology of Tajikistan.

Latipov noted that all issues, including the ecological ones, “if they really exists,” must be solved through constructive dialogue between the government bodies of the two countries -- “it is necessary to overcome deficiency of confidence.” 

The ecology commission within the lower house of Tajikistan’s parliament was set up in April 2010.  The commission consists of fifteen MPs and it is dedicated to deal with issues related to ensuring the environmental security of Tajikistan.  The commission coordinates activities of and interaction between the parliament’s lower house and governmental structures for environmental protection.