DUSHANBE, Tajikistan –

On 13 June, Ambassador Petko Draganov, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General (SRSG) and Head of the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), conducted a working visit to Tajikistan. On this occasion, the SRSG participated in a High-level expert meeting on “Finding Development Solutions to Preventing Violent Extremism”, organized by UNDP. In his statement Ambassador Draganov noted the growing threats of violent extremism and terrorism in Central Asia, underlined the importance of addressing the root causes of these phenomena and called for the joint efforts by Central Asian states and the international community to promote regional security.

The SRSG also had bilateral meetings with Minister of Foreign Affairs Sirojiddin Aslov and First Deputy Minister of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan Sulton Rahimzoda. During the meetings both sides exchanged views on the current situation in Tajikistan and in Central Asia, notably in light of developments in neighboring Afghanistan. Special attention was paid to regional interactions in related to the management of trans-boundary water and energy resources as well as on UNRCCA’s preventive initiatives in this field.

SRSG Draganov also met with EU Special Representative for Central Asia Peter Burian in the margins of the high level meeting as part of their regular encounters and coordination efforts.