Tajikistan, an independent State of the former Soviet Union has experienced three changes in government and a five-year civil war since it gained independence in 1991 from the USSR. A peace agreement among rival factions was signed in 1997, and implemented in 2000. Most recently, attention by the international community in the wake of the war in Afghanistan has brought increased economic development assistance, which is now creating jobs and increasing stability for the long term. Tajikistan is in the early stages of seeking World Trade Organization membership and has joined NATO's Partnership for Peace. At present there are several mining and exploration operations ongoing in Tajikistan. Gold production alone stands at approximately 3 tonnes of gold each year.
