DUSHANBE, March 3 2012, Asia-Plus – On Friday March 2, President Emomali Rahmon received Mr. Alexander Zuyev, UN Resident Coordinator/UNDP Resident Representative in Tajikistan, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of admission of Tajikistan to the United Nations.

According to the presidential press service, state and prospects of further expansion of cooperation between Tajikistan and the United Nations were a major topic of the meeting.

Concerning activities of the UN agencies and programs in Tajikistan, Mr. Zuyev, in particular, noted that more than 600 million U.S. dollars worth of numerous projects have been implemented in Tajikistan under support of the United Nations over the past decade.  In 2011 alone, the United Nations provided financial and technical assistance to Tajikistan for a total amount of 70 million U.S. dollars.

For his part, President Rahmon appreciated the United Nations’ support for economic and social development of Tajikistan.

The UN has been present in Tajikistan since 1992, commencing with the UN Tajikistan Office for Peace-building (UNTOP), which ended its mission in October 2007. Since 1993, the UN has increased its presence to 22 specialized agencies, funds and programs of the UN and World Bank.  The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and International Finance Corporation are also active in Tajikistan and working closely with the UN Country Team (UNCT).

There are presently more than 700 persons under contract with UN/Tajikistan.