DUSHANBE, July 14, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- Deputy Foreign Minister, Nizomiddin Zohidov, yesterday received Mr. Severin Shappaz, new Head of the International Committee for Red Cross (ICRC) Delegation in Tajikistan, the Tajik MFA information department reports.

The sides discussed cooperation between Tajikistan and the ICRC, including construction of the ICRC field office in Rasht and medical center provided with state-of-the-art medical equipment as well as the project for providing the population with safe drinking water, the source said.

Zohidov and Shappaz also considered issues related to cooperation in reducing land mine danger and strengthening capacities in human rights protection, including improvement of conditions in the penitentiary facilities.

The ICRC has been supporting the authorities in Tajikistan in promoting International humanitarian law (IHL) and other humanitarian norms and their integration into national legislation, academic curricula and the practices of military and security forces since January 1993.   It also supports a special program, Raising Awareness of Mines and Unexploded Ordnance, launched by Tajikistan’s Red Crescent Society in January 2002.