DUSHANBE, July 10, 2015, Asia-Plus -- The presentation of the outcomes of last project activity- study tour in Italy –the European Fair Trade market opportunity, strategy and consolidation phase, handicraft fairs in Dushanbe and other topics were lighted up during the exchange of views which took place at the Ismaili Center of Dushanbe on July 9.

According to the Delegation of the Euroepan Union to Tajikistan, the meeting participants included craftsmen, entrepreneurs, and representatives from State Authorities and Business Intermediary Organizations (BIOs).

The recently undertaken visit to Italy gave the opportunity to the Union of Craftsmen of Tajikistan (UCT) to share and discuss ideas, contacts and good practices arisen from their 8-day Italian mission.  An informal debate was encouraged, so as to identify concrete patterns that, following the European model, could be successfully applied also in Tajikistan handicraft and small businesses sectors.

The Study Tour –Networking meeting - is part of the 2-year project, Handicraft and Business through Regional Integration and Fair Trade Market, funded by the European Union under the Central Asia Invest Program.

The National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NSMB), which is also part of the project, took the opportunity to present the new tool developed specifically for the artisans: Handbook on taxation and access to credit, which provide core information on how to start their own business.  The project, co-funded and implemented by the Italian NGO Cesvi in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, will reinforce the cooperation between these two Central Asia countries, contributing to the development of their private sectors with a specific focus on the handicraft sector.