DUSHANBE, December 1, Asia-Plus - New foreign minister has been appointed in Tajikistan.

According to MFA, Hamrokhon Zaripov was appointed Foreign Minister, replacing Talbak Nazarov in this post.

Talbak Nazarov had headed MFA since December 1994.      

Hamrokhon Zaripov had served as Ambassador Extraordinary of Tajikistan to the United States since 2003. 

Zaripov was born on December 25, 1948 in Farkhor district.  In 1971, he graduated from the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics at Kulob Teachers’ Training Institute.  In 1993, Zaripov joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan as Deputy Chief of Personnel Department and later in 1994 as Chief of the Department.  From 1995 to 1996, he served as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.  From 1996 to 2003, Zaripov served as Permanent Representative of Tajikistan to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Vienna and Head of the Delegation of Tajikistan to the OSCE (1996-2003), Head of Mission of Tajikistan to European Communities (1997-2001), Ambassador of Tajikistan to Austria (1997-2003), Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Tajikistan to Switzerland (1998-2003), Ambassador of Tajikistan to  Hungary (1999-2002).  Zaripov married with two children.