DUSHANBE, May 14, 2014, Asia-Plus -- Tajik President Emomali Rahmon today met here with Ambassador Martin Dahinden, Director-General of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

According to the Tajik president’s official website, the sides discussed state and prospects of further expansion of bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and Switzerland.

President Rahmon, in particular, noted that Switzerland was one of important partners of Tajikistan in Europe.

Rahmon and Dahinden expressed satisfaction with the level of political, economic, investment and humanitarian cooperation between the two countries, the source said.

Ambassador Martin Dahinden took over the position of Director-General at the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation in 2008.  Prior to this, Martin Dahinden headed the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA)''s Directorate of Corporate Management (from 2004), after having worked as Director of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (from 2000 to 2004).

Switzerland has been active in Tajikistan since 1993, when it delivered humanitarian aid during the civil war.  In 1997 Tajikistan became a member of the Swiss led group of countries in the Bretton Woods Institutions, and at this point Switzerland established a Cooperation Office in Dushanbe, marking the shift from emergency relief to long-term development cooperation.

The main Swiss actors present in Tajikistan are the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the FDFA’s Human Security Division.  Working closely together as one Switzerland, the role of these agencies has been and is to implement programs which support a transition towards a pluralistic and economically viable state, contribute to poverty alleviation, and to help build institutions and systems which respond to the population’s needs.

Switzerland’s strategy for 2012 - 2015 in Tajikistan focuses on four priority areas: health; safe drinking water; rule of law; and private sector development.