DUSHANBE, September 27, 2010, Asia-Plus — On September 24, President Emomali Rahmon held meetings with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa al-Thani and the U.S. Special Envoy to Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke in New York on sidelines of the UN General Assembly annual session, according to presidential press service.
Rahmon’s meeting with Ahmadinejad focused on the issues related to implementation of joint economic development projects in Tajikistan, acceleration of construction of the Sangtuda-2 hydropower plant as well as construction of automotive highway and rail link connecting Tajikistan and Iran via Afghanistan and power transmission line from Tajikistan via Afghanistan to Iran. The two also discussed ways to expand tripartite cooperation of Tajikistan, Iran and Afghanistan and support reconstruction of Afghanistan’s economy.
Emomali Rahmon and the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa al-Thani discussed state and prospects of further expansion of bilateral mutually beneficial cooperation between Tajikistan and Qatar and implementation of Qatar-sponsored projects in Tajikistan, including the construction of Central Asia’s largest mosque and the implementation of the Dushanbe Diar project in the Tajik capital. The Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa al-Thani noted that his country was ready to invest more than 500 million U.S. dollars in Tajikistan in the near future, presidential press service said.
Support for reconstruction of Afghanistan’s economy, including construction of a new Tajik-Afghan bridge across the Panj River near the village of Kokul in Farkhor district, Khatlon province was a major topic of Rahmon’s meeting with the U.S. Envoy to Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke, the press service said. The sides also pointed to the necessity of expansion of economic and investment cooperation with countries bordering Afghanistan.
