Sustainable Development Goals and Tajikistan’s National Development Strategy 2016-2030 (18 May, Brussels)

www.tajikembassy.be www.mzv.sk

Central Asia was an important point of focus during the Slovak Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2nd semester 2016. A discussion on Central Asia took place during the informal EU Political Directors meeting in Bratislava (4-5 July). The Slovak Presidency organised a conference on political relation and development cooperation with the region “EU-Central Asia: New Dimensions of Cooperation” in Brussels (13 September).

Year 2017 will be an important milestone in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Many countries have made progress in creating their own strategies on how to reach the 17 goals agreed at the UN Sustainable Development Summit in 2015. So did countries of Central Asia. The EU is also in the process of revising its principal political document on development cooperation – European Consensus on Development. The EU-Central Asia cooperation will be instrumental in reaching the SDGs as MICs (Middle Income Countries) play a crucial role in it.

In this context, the event provided an excellent opportunity to get familiar with priorities of National Development Strategy of “Tajikistan-2030” and discuss with high level representatives of Tajikistan and experts from international organizations, EU Member States and countries of the region main challenges of sustainable development and possible way forward on SDGs implementation in Central Asia with particular focus on Tajikistan.

Featured: 

Peter Javorčik – Permament Representative of the Slovak Republic to the EU
Lukáš Parízek – State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic
Stefano Manservisi – Director-General for International Cooperation and Development, European Commission
Neville Acquilina – Director-Feneral, Global Issues, International Development and Economic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malta
Sirodjidin Muhridinovich Aslov – Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan
Nematullo Hikmatullozoda – Minister of Economic Development and Trade of the Repulic of Tajikistan
Peter Burian – EUSR for Central Asia
Pratibha Mehta – UN Resident Coordinator, UNDP Resident Representative in Tajikistan
Tuula Yrjola – Head of OSCE Office in Tajikistan
Urban Rusnák – Secretary General, Energy Charter
Frank Hess – Deputy Head of Unit, Development Coordination Central Asia, Middle East/Gulf and Pcific, DG DEVCO
Alise Balode – Director of Economic Relations, Trade and Development Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia
Jüri Seilenthal – Director General of Foreign Economic Policy and Development Cooperation Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia
Marco Keiner – Director of Environment Division, UNECE
William Tompson – Head of the Eurasua Division in the Global Relations Secretariat, OECD
Matt Read – Chief Executive Officer, Aga Khan Foundation