DUSHANBE, March 26, 2009, Asia-Plus — During his two-day visit to the Afghan city of Mazar-i Sharif on March 20-21, Foreign Minster Hamrokhon Zarifi met with his Afghan counterpart, Rangin Dadfar Espanta, on March 21, according to the MFA information department.
State and prospects of further expansion of bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and Afghanistan as well as a number of other issues being of mutual interest were the focus of the meeting.
Tajik foreign minister, in particular, noted that Tajik consular institutions would be opened in Afghanistan’s provinces of Kunduz and Badakhshan in the near future. Zarifi also said that Tajikistan was ready to organize a round-the-clock operation of the bridge across the Panj River joining Tajikistan’s Nizhny Panj and Afghanistan’s Sherkhon Bandar.
In the course of the talks, Afghan Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Espanta asked Zarifi to assist with solving the issue of providing medical aid to Afghan living in border areas, in order that seriously sick Afghans from border areas might take medical treatment at Tajik hospitals, the MFA information department said.
As it had been reported earlier, Zarifi on March 21 also held bilateral talks with his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki in Mazar-i Sharif. According to IRNA, Zarifi appreciated Iran for its successful holding of ECO meeting in Tehran and its suitable management on electing a new secretary general for the organization. Mottaki, for his part, expressed pleasure with the initiation of joint activities, good relations between the two countries and a sincere atmosphere created by both leaders” intention as a support and source for mutual ties. He also told his Tajik counterpart that Iranian contractors, engineers and experts were ready to participate in Tajikistan”s development projects.
In the meantime, Tajik MFA information department reported that in the course of the talks, Manouchehr Mottaki had noted that his country would provide 6 million US dollars in the near future for completion of construction of the Istiqlol (Anzob) Tunnel in Tajikistan. 1 million dollars of this amount will be provided in a form of grant, the MFA information department said.
Hamrokhon Zarifi heading a high-ranking delegation arrived in Mazar-i Sharif, the capital of Afghanistan’s Province of Balkh on March 20. A group of Tajik researchers, writers and journalists accompanied the minister on his trip to Afghanistan. During his two-day stay, Zarifi took part along with his Afghan and Iranian counterparts at tripartite meeting and signed a 24-article statement with them which underlined expansion of cooperation between the three nations. He also held bilateral talks with his Afghan and Iranian counterparts and Balkh governor Atta Mohammad Nour, as well as attended inauguration of an urban civil project and opening of Firdavsi Library in Mazar-i Sharif.
