DUSHANBE, July 12, 2012, Asia-Plus -- A joint meeting of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MoEDT), the Secretariat of the National Development Council and the Development Partner Coordination Council took place in Dushanbe on July 11.

The MoEDT press center reports the meeting participants included the State Adviser to the Tajik President for Economic Matters Farrukh Hamraliyev, senior representatives from relevant ministries and agencies as well as representatives of international organizations active in the country.

They reportedly discussed the process of working out the medium-term development strategy designed for 2013-2015.

This medium-term strategy is being developed in the framework of Tajikistan National Development Strategy (NDS) designed for the period to 2015.

As Tajikistan’s principal strategic document, the National Development Strategy defines the priorities and general thrust of government policy, which is focused on achieving sustainable economic growth, expanding the public’s access to basic social services and reducing poverty.

The NDS represents a fundamentally new approach to promoting development, which takes into account experience gained elsewhere in the world in the drafting and implementation of similar strategic documents, lessons learned and conclusions drawn from the country’s earlier phases of development, as well as the realities and prospects for development on the ground.

The National Development Strategy serves as a tool for engaging in a dialogue with the business community and non-governmental organizations and the development of technical and financial assistance programs for Tajikistan is based on the National Development Strategy.