ICMPD Director General Mr. Michael Spindelegger and Ms. Gurlu Jabborzoda, Minister of of Labour, Migration and Employment of Population (MoLMEP) of Tajikistan have exchanged views on migration issues and signed a Memorandum on Understanding.

On 25 September 2020, ICMPD and Tajikistan signed a Memorandum of Understanding. ICMPD has carried out a number of projects with Tajikistan in different areas of migration throughout the last 16 years: including in intergovernmental dialogues, on border management (BOMCA), and development of a Road Map of External Labour Migration (MIEUX). The cooperation started in 2004, when Tajikistan joined the Budapest Process. Today, Tajikistan is also an active participating state of the Prague Process. “ICMPD is an important partner for all aspects on migration management for Tajikistan, to support regulate migration flows and to ensure the respect of human rights”, said Minister Jabborzoda during the signing ceremony. ICMPD Director General Spindelegger expressed that after many years of cooperation signing of the MoU represents a crucial point for the deepening of the partnership.   The establishment of a Migrant Resource Centre in Tajikistan being among the joint efforts: “We’re now at a very special place in our relation with Tajikistan. The establishment of a Migrant Resource Centre is a first and concrete step in our commitment to deepen our cooperation.”

As the meeting took place fully online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was the historically first diplomatic act by ICMPD carried out during an online meeting.