Address

Distinguished Mr. Chairman,
Distinguished colleagues.
Ladies and gentlemen

First of all allow me to express my sincere gratitude to the Government of Spain for the warm hospitality and to wish our meeting successful work.

In Tajikistan we consider NATO as an organization, which has a key part of maintaining peace and stability in the Euro-Atlantic region. Active participation in Euro - Atlantic Partnership Council and NATO "Partnership for peace" Program is the important realization element of our foreign policy, directed to strengthen the national security and maintain regional stability.

Confirming our commitments on strengthening stability and security in the whole Euro-Atlantic region, Tajikistan supports decisions of Prague Summit on inspiriting effective and more intensive cooperation between Alliance and Partners.

We also believe important and well-timed "Action Plan against terrorism" and "EAPC activity's comprehensive overview" adopted on the Summit and called upon to beginning of International long-term cooperation against terrorism. We suppose that new challenges and threats, undoubtedly, touch interests of all our countries and realization of main stands of this document can contribute into the further strengthening of security in the region.

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen,

Today, the spread of International terrorism, illicit drug trafficking and weapons of mass annihilation concerns the world community. Combating with them requires the adoption of large-scale measures: military, political, economic, social, financial and legal. In this relation NATO has definite potential of cooperation coordination in all aspects. In our opinion it is important that NATO defines and gives priority for those spheres, where it has experience and evident achievements.

For Tajikistan the meaning between International cooperation in combating terrorism and extremism is not an abstract concept. The Government of the Republic of Tajikistan deeply realizes threat of International terrorism to civilized world and mankind. Today it is clear for everybody that only collective efforts including in the frameworks of our Organization can put an end to this alien occurrence for civilization.


Experience of Tajikistan and other countries shows that raising threat of international terrorism, urgently requests more active attraction of the legal instruments for preventing financing sources and liquidation of organizarions and persons, who maintain relations with "Taliban" movement. In our view, one of the priority tasks is deprivation of Terrorism of its social basis by means of rendering active support to the economic of developing countries.

It is well known that poverty in combination with attendant social problems as an illicit drug trafficking, high unemployment level and illegal migration of population is the extremely rich soil for spreading International terrorist forces. We suppose that these reasons arc the dangerous destabilizing factor for the regional stability.

Tajikistan consequently and purposely conducts the counteraction policy on appearance of terrorism on the territory of the country. With this aim number of normative documents, directed on society and state security were adopted in Tajikistan. The law "On combating against terrorism" was adopted in the country; appropriate decree "On measures of strengthening combat against terrorism'" was issued. The Decree "On executing normative and legal acts of the Republic of Tajikistan according to the UN Security Council Resolution 1373", which stipulates freezing of finances of persons and organizations, which directly or indirectly related with participation in terrorist acts and also number of other important measures, directed on implementation of stands of this document were adopted by the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan.

Distinguished Mr. Chairman,

We, as I earlier mentioned, consider cooperation with EAPC as one of the directions of joint effort on security and stability in the Central Asian region. Here and also in neighboring countries, first of all in Afghanistan the complicated processes, which can negatively influent on situation not only in Central Asia but whole Euro Atlantic region are taking place.

With the change of political situation in neighboring Afghanistan and formation of Interim Administration is an opportunity of regulating of constructive dialogue, particularly, in security issues, economic cooperation and safeguarding of State security was provided.

Undoubtedly, International Anti-terrorist Coalition reached its objectives. Main centers of International terrorism were suppressed, Talibs" regime was overthrown.

Unfortunately, the world community switched its attention to other danger zones, the slowdown of change temps can be observed in Afghan society. Security and public order is getting more problematic, particularly in provinces. In this situation we would like to extend the sphere of Central Authorities" influence more intensive. Today in Afghanistan the centrifugal forces try to be out of control. The clashes among some commanders do not stop. These clashes sometimes have an inter-ethnic character.

We evaluate this situation in some Afghan provinces as very tense and fraught with unpredictable consequences. However we hope that with the support of world community the peace process will be continued in the country.

Recently the United States, their partners on coalition and Interim Afghan Administration declared their preparedness to move to new phase of Operation Enduring Freedom,which stipulates dislocation of the so called province groups on rehabilitation in big cities. These groups are called to provide stability and stability to the process of reconstruction and rehabilitation. We look with optimism on results of this positive process.

We are all aware thai international drug business is the one of the most important channels of financing international terrorism. In this overview the support of International community to national strategy of drug control implementation in Afghanistan, which needs to be financed, gain an important meaning.

At present illicit drug trafficking doesn't represent less global threat than international terrorism. Nowadays, in this overview the suggestion of Tajikistan on establishing International Anti Drug Coalition has an important meaning. We, repeatedly addressing on different forums, including NATO directed world community's attention on this problem.

Today, as never it is necessary to broaden International cooperation with Afghanistan, to attract this State to sphere of International and Regional Organizations" activity. In this context, participation of Afghanistan on the initiative of Tajikistan as an OSCE State-partner is a serious chance of this country to develop peaceful process and as soon as possible be integrated in to the world community.

We suppose that with a view to complete Political Peace Program in Afghanistan and conduct elections in 2004 it is necessary to solve number of tasks. The key task - is overcoming of distrust between Central Government and individuals.

As for the future political system of Afghanistan we suppose that it is necessary to take into consideration traditions existing in this country. We suppose federative and con-federative ideas of Afghan State system quite counterproductive.

Distinguished Mr. Chairman,

In Tajikistan we suppose that NATO must continue search of potential cooperation spheres under crisis management and combat against terrorism. We believe that plans and resources of NATO in planning emergency situation sphere must be fully coordinated in order to escape copying an activity of other international organizations and provide maximum effectiveness.

In this view, I would like to note importance of opening Training OSCE/NATO Centre (in the PFP frameworks) before long for border guards. This initiative, in our view will let to increase level of staff training on combat against illicit drug turnover, weapons, WMO, illegal migration and also will promote Southern direction of Euro-Atlantic strengthening.

NATO lias rich experience in rendering assistance to the countries with transit economy by means of realization Partnership Program and Cooperation, particularly, under fulfillment of reforms in the defense spheres.

We hope that cooperation within EAPC and PFP frameworks will provide Tajikistan systematic recommendations and support in security sphere, create favorable external conditions for introducing internal reforms. We rely on NATO assistance on key PFP issues both on bilateral and multilateral level.

We suppose the idea of "Partnership Preceptor" (involvement of at least one NATO member and one Partner), which is already being approbating by PFP Trust Fund, will further continue in order to provide our country in specific, functional and thematic fields.

Government of the Republic of Tajikistan intends to apply further efforts on sharing security data information and stability strengthening in Euro-Atlantic region in the frameworks of regular political consultations on security issues.

Thank you.