Tajik President Emomali Rahmon arrived in Doha on February 5 on an official visit to Qatar.
According to the Tajik president’s official website, the minister of foreign affairs, the assistants to the president for foreign policy and personnel, the minister of economic development and trade, the minister of education and science, the minister of health and social protection of the population, the minister of transport, the head of the state committee on investment and state-owned property management, the head and the first deputy head of Tajik central bank are accompanying Emomali Rahmon on his visit to Qatar.
Qatar News Agency (QNA) reports the president of Tajikistan and the accompanying delegation were welcomed upon arrival at Hamad International Airport by Qatari Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti, Ambassador of Qatar to Tajikistan Ali bin Mubarak Al Mohannadi and Ambassador of Tajikistan to Qatar Ardasher Qoderi.
On the same day, President Rahmon met with Sheikh Abdulla bin Mohammed bin Saud Al Thani, Chief Executive Officers (CEO) of the Qatar Investment Authority.
The two sides reportedly discussed state and prospects of bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and Qatar.
They, in particular, discussed participation of Qatari economic and investment circles in implementation of a number of small and large national and regional projects in Tajikistan.
In the course of the talks, Rahmon outlined sectors like energy, agriculture, mining, launch of joint ventures and tourism, as areas that could drive the bilateral trade between Tajikistan and Qatar. He especially invited Qatari investments in mining, according to the president’s website. Rahmon also sought establishment of the Qatari Foundation for Development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, the Consulting Company and the Qatari Investment Bank in Tajikistan.
The Qatar Investment Authority is Qatar's state-owned holding company that can be characterized as a National Wealth Fund. It specializes in domestic and foreign investment. The QIA was founded by the State of Qatar in 2005 to strengthen the country's economy by diversifying into new asset classes. The fund is a member of the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds and is therefore signed up to the Santiago Principles on best practice in managing sovereign wealth funds
Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Tajikistan and the State of Qatar were established on December 13, 1994, and the Embassy of the State of Qatar started functioning in Tajikistan in November 2012. In July 2013, the State of Qatar appointed its Ambassador to the Republic of Tajikistan. Tajikistan opened its Embassy in the State of Qatar in December 2012. In May 2013, the Ambassador of the Republic of Tajikistan to the State of Qatar was appointed.
