DUSHANBE, June 21, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- On Monday June 20, Tajik Minister of Education Abdujabbor Rahmonov and Russian Minister of Education and Science Andrey Fursenko signed an agreement on opening of branches of Russian higher educational institutions in Tajikistan and opening of branches of Tajik higher educational institutions in Russia.

The document that was singed in Dushanbe on sidelines of the 8th CIS education ministers’ conference provides for opening of branches of Moscow Power Engineering Institute (Technical University) and National University of Science and Technology "MISIS" (former State Technological University "Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys") in Tajikistan.

The branches are expected to be officially opened in Dushanbe in September this year.

On the same day, Abdujabbor Rahmonov met with his Belarusian counterpart Sergey Maskevich.  The two signed a cooperation agreement.  Under this agreement, Belarus, which has a well-developed vocational and technical education, will assist Tajikistan with training of personnel.