Event - 1997-05-28

The current Aga Khan , 60 years old, who will in July mark his 40th year as spiritual head of the Ismaili Muslims, said in an interview at his office here that the last four years have seen a dramatic increase in development needs for Ismailis in a growing number of places that previously were cut off from the West, especially in the former Soviet Central Asian republics of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.' reported the Europe edition of the Wall Street Journal dated May 28.