DUSHANBE, February 4, 2016, Asia-Plus — Tajikistan does not intend and will not spoil relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran because of a December incident when the leader of the banned Islamic Revival Party (IRP) Muhiddin Kabiri participated in an international conference in Tehran, Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Aslov told reporters in Dushanbe on February 4.
He stressed that Tajikistan informed its foreign-policy partners of a terrorist activity of the IRP and its role in organization of a September armed mutiny through diplomatic channels already in late September.
“Tehran, however, invited Muhiddin Kabiri to attend the International Islamic Unity Conference and he was seated next to members of the official delegation from Tajikistan.,” the minister noted.
Aslov further expressed confidence that “henceforth, Tehran will not put relations with terrorists and relations with the official authorities of Tajikistan on the same scale.”
Relations between Tajikistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran took a nosedive in late December.
We will recall that Tajikistan summoned Iranian Ambassador to Tajikistan Hojjatollah Faghani on December 29 to express “regret” over Iran”s decision to invite the leader of the banned IRPT to attend the International Islamic Unity Conference that took place in Tehran on December 27-28, 2015.
Tajikistan”s MFA said in a statement that it was “greatly concerned” that “the head of the extremist and terrorist former IRPT, Muhiddin Kabiri, who faces charges of attempting to overthrow the government … has been invited to the conference.”
“Tajikistan’s MFA considers such actions of organizers of this conference to be unacceptable and categorically states that such an attitude to enemies of the state and the people of Tajikistan can negatively affected good relations between Tajikistan and Iran,” the Tajik MFA statement said.
