DUSHANBE, January 25, Asia-Plus - Justice Minister Bakhtiyor Khudoyorov told journalists in Dushanbe yesterday that 148 international organizations, including 45 established by Tajik citizens, have to date been registered in Tajikistan. 

The minister noted that under the country’s legislation, the organizations should annually submit to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) reports on work carried out by them.  

“Under the RT Law “On Public Associations” of 1998, international organizations active in Tajikistan should register at the Ministry of Justice,” the minister said.  

Davlat Sulaymonov, head of the MoJ department of registration of public associations and political parties, noted that the issue of reregistering representative offices of Freedom House and NDI (National Democratic Institute for International Affairs) in Tajikistan has not yet been resolved.  “These organizations have not yet submitted all necessary registration documents to the ministry,” Sulaymonov said.  

The National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) is nonprofit organization working to strengthen and expand democracy worldwide.  Calling on a global network of volunteer experts, NDI provides practical assistance to civic and political leaders advancing democratic values, practices and institutions.  NDI works with democrats in every region of the world to build political and civic organizations, safeguard elections, and to promote citizen participation, openness ad accountability in government. 

Freedom House is an independent non-governmental organization that supports the expansion of freedom in the world.  According to its website, it conducts "an array of advocacy, education, and training initiatives that promote human rights, democracy, free market economics, the rule of law, independent media, and US engagement in international affairs

In all, 3,045 public associations have to date been registered in Tajikistan.  According to the minister, 328 of them wee registered with the MoJ last year.