DUSHANBE, December 3, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- Within the framework of its assistance to Tajikistan, the European Commission today organized a seminar in Dushanbe on the role of service cooperatives in market economies.  

According to EC Delegation in Tajikistan, the objective of the seminar is to raise awareness and discuss the importance of supporting the development of Service Cooperatives in the Agricultural sector in Tajikistan.

Cooperatives can play an important role in supporting the diversification of the agricultural sector by enhancing the capacity of farmers to market, sell and possibly export their agricultural products.

The Seminar also aims to show some of the positives results of the projects implemented by some of the EC-funded NGOs in the regions, such as ACTED, the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) and German Agro Action (Welt Hunger Hilfe). These projects and other experiences in the world show that service cooperatives can provide positive economic effects to their members, to consumers at large and to the national economy.

The new EU Strategy for Central Asia aims to strengthen ties between the European Union and its Central Asian partners. It has doubled European Commission assistance to the region to €750 million for 2007-2013.

Tajikistan gets the main share of bilateral assistance (€66 million for 2007-2010) in support to sector programs, technical assistance and grants. It focuses on social protection, health and private sector development, underpinned by public finance management.  Projects aimed at enhancing living standards continue.  Tajikistan also receives regional and thematic assistance in areas like border management and drug control (BOMCA/CADAP), education (TEMPUS, Erasmus Mundus), water/environment, human rights and democracy (EIDHR), non-State actors (NSA) and SME development (CA-Invest).

The total value of EC assistance disbursed to Tajikistan since 1992 is over €500 million.