CHRONICLE OF THE MONTH: OCTOBER , 2003

October 1- Tajik Lower House (Majlisi Namoyandagon) began its work;
- A session of council of CIS railways in Dushanbe endorsed a schedule of rail traffic across territory of the CIS for 2004-2006;
- Electricity rationing determined at 7 hours a day was introduced in Tajikistan.

October 2 - A session of the Tajik-Turkish joint commission for economic
cooperation opened in Dushanbe;

October 3 - Tajik President Emomali Rahmonov received visiting delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the European Union.

October 6 - President Rahmonov presided working session of the government to discuss a progress of cotton-picking campaign.

October 8- Tajik Lower House (Majlisi Namoyandagon) ratified an agreement between Tajikistan and the United States on subjecting persons to persecution by the International Criminal Court.

October 13- Tajik Defense Minister Sherali Khairulloyev met with visiting German and British military delegations to discuss military and military-technical cooperation.

October 14- Mr. Alan Waddams, Ambassador of the European Commission to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan visited Dushanbe to discuss issues related to further expansion of many-sided cooperation between Tajikistan and the European Commission; - 5th Central Asian Games opened in the Tajik capital.

October 15- Tajik President Emomali Rahmonov left for Malaysia to attend the 10th summit of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC);

October 16- Tajik Prime Minister Oqil Oqilov met with visiting head of the "Avoset Mining" Company Mr. Nachel Macnaier (phonetically spelled) Scott to discuss prospects of further expansion of Tajik-British cooperation on gold-mining;
- Regional conference of heads of TACIS offices in Central Asian countries concluded in Dushanbe. European Union Director for Central Asia and the Caucasus Per Brix Knudsen told journalists in Dushanbe that the EU will commit 12 million euros ($13.9 million) over the next three years for Tajik land-mine removal along the Uzbek border.

October 17- The 10th session of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) adopted a special resolution on Tajikistan. The resolution, which appealed to OIC member states and financial institutions to help Tajikistan's government overcome the country's economic problems and promote economic reform, was requested by Tajik President Emomali Rahmonov, who attended the OIC session in Kuala Lumpur.

October 20- A two-day session of experts from member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) opened today in the Tajik capital. The main objective of the meeting is in discussing and working out a consolidated text of an agreement of member nations of the SCO on struggling trafficking in narcotics, psychotropic substances and precursors;
- Newly appointed Regional Representative of the UN Office on Drugs
and Crime (UNODC), Mr. James Kallahan arrived Dushanbe.

October 22- President Rahmonov met with visiting Director of the EBRD Business-Group for Russia and Central Asia Mr. Hubert Panza to discuss issues related to cooperation between Tajikistan and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD);
- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) plans a US$100 million loan program
for Tajikistan over the next three years to help build the country's
rural infrastructure and promote regional cooperation

October 23- Tajik President Emomali Rahmonov received the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission in Tajikistan, Robert Christiansen, to discuss the most topical issues of cooperation between Tajikistan and the IMF;
- Tajik President Emomali Rahmonov received Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The sides discussed increasing Turkish investment, technology transfer from Turkey to Tajikistan, and bilateral trade.

October 24 - President Rahmonov presided session of the Tajik Government.

October 27- President Rahmonov left for Indonesia on an official visit;
- Tajik Prime Minister Oqil Oqilov took part at a session of the Integration Committee of the Eurasian Economic Community.

October 28 - During the visit to Indonesia, Tajik President Emomali Rahmonov with his Indonesian counterpart Ms. Megawati Soekarnoputri and other high-ranking state officials, including Vice- President Hamzah Haz, People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien
Rais and House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung.

October 30 - Russian border troops stationed on Tajik-Afghan border detained two Tajik citizens, who were truing to smuggle 60 kilograms of heroin;
- National forum on problems of children being in conflict with law was held in Dushanbe.

October 31 - A briefing dedicated to activities of the Tajik law enforcement agencies in combating drug trafficking was held in the Tajik capital.