DUSHANBE, June 20, 2013, Asia-Plus – On Thursday June 20, Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi received Mr. Sven Alkalaj, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

According to the Tajik MFA information department, the sides considered a broad range of issues related to regional cooperation, rational use of water-and-energy resources in Central Asia, proposals on further strengthening of the UN Special Program for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA), as well as national and regional priorities of the post-2015 Development Agenda.

The sides also discussed preparations for international high-level conference on water cooperation that is expected to take place in Dushanbe from August 20-21 this year.  

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE or ECE) was established in 1947 to encourage economic cooperation among its member states.  It is one of five regional commissions under the administrative direction of United Nations headquarters.  It has 56 member states, and reports to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).  The UNECE secretariat headquarters is in Geneva, Switzerland, and has an approximate budget of US$50 million.