On the second day of the state visit (11 May), President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov met with Prime Minister of Tajikistan Kohir Rasulzoda.
The sides discussed a wide range of issues of bilateral cooperation, with a focus on transport, agriculture, and industrial cooperation.
President Serdar Berdimuhamedov noted that Turkmenistan actively supports the growth of regional and international cooperation in the transportation sector, citing the necessity of establishing new transportation and transit corridors that cross the territory of the two states and connect vast regions of Central and South Asia, the Middle East, and the Middle East.
The prospects for the development of a transport route between Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Turkey were discussed in this context, as well as the potential for multimodal cargo transportation between China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan with access to the seaports of the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea. They also discussed the importance of setting up direct and transit air communications between two states.
Among the main areas of bilateral cooperation, industrial cooperation, including the textual industry, has been identified. Turkmenistan has a rich experience in this field, the head of Turkmenistan stressed.
Turkmenistan is ready to consider in detail the possibility of implementing the first pilot project to create a textile factory in Tajikistan with the participation of Turkmen companies.
Among the important components of economic cooperation are the development of bilateral trade relations, the expansion of the range of mutually supplied goods, and an increase in the volume of export–import operations. In order to coordinate this work, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov proposed to start the practical implementation of the project of creating trading houses in the capitals of both countries in the very near future.
Touching upon the topic of cooperation in agriculture, the President of Turkmenistan and the Prime Minister of Tajikistan spoke in favor of the preparation by the state and private sector of a special program of cooperation in the agricultural sector.
It was emphasized that Turkmenistan is interested in the import of metallurgical products from Tajikistan, in particular aluminum.
President Serdar Berdimuhamedov noted that both sides have a lot of work to do to implement the bilateral documents signed following the current negotiations.
In this context, it was proposed to organize a meeting of the co-chairs of the Joint Turkmen-Tajik Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, scientific and Technical cooperation in an expanded format.
At the end of the meeting, the sides expressed confidence in the successful continuation of the traditions of friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two fraternal nations.
Visit to Rahmon’s residence in the mountains
Then the head of Turkmenistan proceeded to the country residence “Takob”, located in a picturesque mountainous district Varzob near Dushanbe. President Emomali Rahmon met him there.
The heads of state walked around the area, talked about the importance of preserving the national heritage, studying and protecting historical and cultural sites of both countries. As it was emphasized, having unique tourist routes that cover the sites of the Great Silk Road, Central Asia has a huge potential for the development of this sector.
Source: www.newscentralasia.net
