DUSHANBE, July 27, Asia-Plus — President Emomali Rahmon yesterday signed a decree designating 2008 as the Year of the Tajik Language 2008, presidential press service said.  

This step was taken for the purpose of developing state language, fostering patriotism and raising citizens’ respect for the Tajik language, according to presidential press service    

Under president’s decree, the Year of Tajik Language will be held simultaneously with celebrations to mark the 11500th anniversary Abduabdullo Rudaki, founder of Tajik-Persian literature.

The government is to take all necessary measures within a month to provide implementation of president’s decree.  

            Tajikistan celebrated State Language Day on July 22, the anniversary of the designation of Tajik as the state language in 1999. 

We will recall that telling a ceremonial meeting in Dushanbe on July 21, Rahmon proposed designating 2008 as the Year of the Tajik Language, and publishing by September 2008 a new two-volume Tajik dictionary, together wit grammars for the classical and modern literary languages.