DUSHANBE, June 13, 2014, Asia-Plus – Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will pay an official visit to Tajikistan from June 17-18, a source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan (MFA) said.
While in Dushanbe, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will hold talks with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon.
The source noted that the full schedule of Pakistani prime minister’s visit to Tajikistan will be made available to journalists on June 16.
Meanwhile, an article “Afghanistan Getting Significance in Pak Diplomatic Initiatives” that was posted on Pakistan’s
The News International’s
website on June 9 notes that the developments in Afghanistan are suddenly acquiring significance in Pakistan’s diplomatic initiatives as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is undertaking an important visit to Tajikistan next week while Prime Minister’s adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz will be visiting Russia during the same days.
The News
reports that Nawaz Sharif will be visiting Tajikistan for two days from June 17 and he will have talks with his host President Emomali Rahmon, who has invited Pakistan’s prime minister for the trip.
According to
The News
, the talks will encompass subjects of bilateral interest, especially referring to Afghanistan. The situation and developments taking place in Afghanistan would prominently figure during the talks between leaders of Pakistan and Tajikistan,
The News
said.
It will be first visit to any Central Asian states by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during his current stint.
Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif is the 18th and current Prime Minister of Pakistan, in office since June 2013. A veteran politician and industrialist, he previously served as Prime Minister from November 1990 to July 1993 and from February 1997 to October 1999. Sharif is the president of Pakistan Muslim League (N), which is currently Pakistan”s largest political party, and has formed the government. As the owner of Ittefaq Group, a leading business conglomerate, he is also one of the country”s wealthiest men. He is commonly known as the “Lion of the Punjab.”
Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Tajikistan and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan were established on June 6, 1992.
According to data of the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan, a two-way trade between Tajikistan and Pakistan in January-August 2013 valued at 28.2283 million U.S. dollars. . This consisted of Tajikistan’s exports to Pakistan estimated at US$15.4 million and Tajikistan’s imports from Pakistan worth US$12.8283 million.
