DUSHANBE, April 3, Asia-Plus  -- Opening of vocational training projects set up at a Refugee Training Center in Dushanbe was held on Wednesday.

Visiting United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres participated in the opening of the vocational training projects.  

According to the UNHCR Dushanbe Office, the center makes social and legal assistance available to refugees living in Tajikistan. 

            Press release issued by UNHCR said that hairdressing and sewing workshops established by UNHCR NGO partner Fidokor within the Refugees Training Center to help refugee women obtain basic professional skills and enable them to earn money for their families were opened yesterday.  

UN refugee chief left Tajikistan yesterday night. 

During his three-day stay in Tajikistan, Mr. Guterres had fruitful discussions with President Emomali Rahmon and a number of high-ranking Tajik state officials on the integration of some 1,000 Afghans who have been refugees in Tajikistan for up to 20 years, as well as on the improvement of the national asylum systems in the country.

Over the past 15 years, UNHCR has enjoyed an excellent working relationship with the Government of Tajikistan, the UNHCR press release said.   

In 1993 Tajikistan became the first country in Central Asia to accede to both the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, and it was also the first country in the region to adopt national legislation on refugees.  Tajikistan currently hosts 1,710 refugees and asylum seekers, mostly from Afghanistan, according to press release.

Tajikistan, due to its geographical location, represents both a transit and destination country for Afghan refugees and serves as a buffer zone between Afghanistan and other Central Asian countries, which makes the issue of finding long-term solutions for the Afghan refugees especially important.  In this regard, UNHCR proposed to the Government of Tajikistan a project, under which long staying Afghan refugees will be able to receive residence permits and/or citizenship and fully integrate into the Tajik society. UNHCR will support the government in implementation of all necessary actions required for local integration that will benefit the government, the receiving communities and the refugees themselves.