DUSHANBE, July 28, Asia-Plus — On Tuesday July 29, Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi is leaving for Tehran to attend the next trilateral ministerial meeting of Tajikistan, Iran and Afghanistan.
According to the Iranian Embassy in Dushanbe, foreign ministers of Iran (Manouchehr Mottaki), Afghanistan (Ranging Dadfar Spanta) and Tajikistan (Hamrokhon Zarifi) will meet to discuss cooperation issues and preparations for a summit of heads of state due in Dushanbe this year.
The ministers will discuss issues related to construction of a planned Tajikistan-Afghanistan-Iran highway. A related project envisions the construction of a new railway link connecting Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Iran, aimed at boosting trade, increasing exports, and easing transit costs in the region, as well as expanding passenger traffic.
The will also consider issues related to establishment of the Persian-language TV channel, cooperation in the field of culture and holding of events to mark the 1150th anniversary of birthday of Abu Abdullo Roudaki, a founder of the Tajik-Persian classical literature.
We will recall that a two-day a two-day meeting of foreign ministers of Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Iran that was held in Dushanbe on March 24-25, 2008 resulted in signing of a joint 12-point communiqué pledging tripartite cooperation in the energy and transport sectors and vowing to expand economic cooperation. The three hailed the meeting as an important step toward “economic integration” and greater regional cooperation, adding that they also agreed to establish a new Dushanbe-based Persian-language television channel to broadcast in each country. Addressing reporters following the signing, Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi added that they confirmed their readiness to intensify economic and humanitarian cooperation, but stressed that the trilateral summit was not directed against any third party.
