Mr. Almaz Saifutdinov is an Economic/Commercial Advisor at the U.S. Embassy in Tajikistan, where he is responsible for promoting U.S. commercial interests in the region. He also serves as the Chairman of the Board at the Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation in Tajikistan. Mr. Saifutdinov is also a Founder of the Economic News Tajikistan Facebook group. With over 10,000 members, including economists, business leaders and government officials, the group serves as a primary source of information and a discussion platform. Prior to joining the U.S. Embassy in 2003, Mr. Saifutdinov worked as the Deputy Manager at the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development in Tajikistan. Mr. Saifutdinov holds a Master of Development Administration from Western Michigan University (2002) and a BA in English and French languages from Dushanbe State Pedagogical University (1997). He is the author of numerous analytical articles on economic and commercial issues.