DUSHANBE, January 25, 2012, Asia-Plus -- The U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe yesterday hosted a video conference between officials from the Department of State and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in Washington, D.C., and a delegation from the government of Tajikistan led by the Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Mr. Farrukh Hamraliyev.

According to the U.S. Embassy, the Tajik side outlined the recent progress it has made toward WTO accession and noted its readiness to further accelerate the pace of work.

The event underscored the U.S. Government’s commitment to supporting Tajikistan’s accession efforts, and both sides expressed a desire to hold similar meetings on a regular basis throughout the year.  The next major milestone along Tajikistan’s path toward WTO accession is a Working Party meeting in Geneva scheduled for February.