On Wednesday July 19, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon met in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince also Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud on the sidelines of the first summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the Central Asian countries (C5).
According to the Tajik president’s official website, the parties discussed a wide range of issues related to the bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
President Emomali Rahmon reportedly expressed gratitude to the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud for the warm welcome, as well as to the side of Saudi Arabia for their attention and sincere hospitality.
The parties assessed the first Summit in the "Central Asia-Gulf" format as an important event in the modern history of consultative relations between the two regions and expressed confidence that its results will effectively contribute to strengthening the ties of friendship and promoting mutually beneficial cooperation.
During the meeting, the parties called for the establishment and strengthening of a strategic dialogue between the states of Central Asia and the countries – members of the Cooperation Council of the Arab States of the Gulf.
They reportedly expressed interest in developing and expanding political, trade and economic ties within the framework of the Joint Parliamentary Friendship Committee, the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, the Investment Forum of the two countries and the Saudi Arabia Development Fund.
Sectors like energy, transport, agriculture, light and food industries, pharmaceutics and mining industry were outlined as areas which could drive the bilateral trade between the two countries.
It was considered necessary to attract the capital of Saudi Arabia for the development of Tajikistan’s economy.
The further expansion of cultural and people-to-people ties was recognized as an important factor in strengthening friendship and brotherhood between the peoples of the two countries.
Tajik President and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince reportedly also discussed issues of developing and strengthening cooperation in the fields of science, education, tourism, healthcare, sports and youth.
The bolstering of cooperation between countries in the field of security, including on countering modern dangers and threats, was another topic of the exchange of views.
At the end of the meeting, Emomali Rahmon invited Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Saud to pay an official return visit to Tajikistan at his convenience.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia recognized the independence of the Republic of Tajikistan on January 11, 1992. Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Tajikistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were established on February 22, 1992. The Embassy of the Republic of Tajikistan in Riyadh was opened in September 2008. The Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Dushanbe was opened in 2010.
