DUSHANBE, June 17, 2014, Asia-Plus -- The European Fair Trade alternative market, the diamond industry of Antwerp (Belgium), the EU policies in favor of Small and Medium-sized enterprises, the strategies of the Islamic Republic of Iran for promoting domestic handicraft on foreign markets, the International Handicraft Trade Fair of Florence (Italy) will light up the exchange of views that will take place at the Ismaili Center of Dushanbe on June 18.

According to the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Tajikistan, the event participants will include more than 20 craftsmen, together with representatives from state Authorities, entrepreneurs and business intermediary organizations (BIOs).

A recently undertaken Study Tour will give the opportunity to the Union of Craftsmen of Tajikistan (UCT) and the National Association of Small and Medium Businesses (NASMB) to share and discuss ideas, contacts and good practices arisen from their 8-day European mission between Netherlands, Belgium and Italy.

An informal debate will be 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 is part of the 2-year project, Handicraft and Business through Regional Integration and Fair Trade Market, which I funded by the European Union under the Central Asia Invest Program.

The project, co-funded and implemented by the Italian NGO Cesvi in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, will reinforce the cooperation among these two Central Asia countries, contributing to the development of their private sectors with a specific focus on the handicraft sector.