DUSHANBE, June 5, 2009, Asia-Plus — President Emomali Rahmon yesterday received Xinjiang’s Communist Party Secretary Wang Leguan, according to presidential press service.
We will recall that Mr. Wang heading the delegation of China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) arrived in Tajikistan on June 3.
Issues related to many-sided cooperation between Tajikistan and China were in the focus of the talks of Rahmon and Wang.
Tajik leader noted that relations with China were among priorities of Tajikistan’s foreign policy and said that Tajikistan was ready for further expansion of bilateral cooperation with China.
During the meeting, it was noted that a two-way trade between Tajikistan and China last year reached 1.25 billion U.S. dollars and over the first quarter of this year Tajik-Chinese trade has increased by 84 million dollars compared to the same period of last year despite the ongoing financial crisis.
The sides also discussed construction of transportation and trade zone in the territory of the Murgab district in Gorno Badakhshan and rehabilitation of the highway from Khorog to Murgab for further expansion of trade cooperation.
Mr. Wang noted that highway Kashgar-Kulma-Khorog-Dushanbe was also of significant importance for China and his country was making contribution to rehabilitation of that highway.
In the course of the talks, the sides also exchanged views on prospects of construction of automotive roads and railway link connecting Tajikistan with Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and China from one side and with Afghanistan and Iran from another side. This link is aimed at boosting trade, increasing exports, and easing transit costs in the region, as well as expanding passenger traffic.
Rahmon and Wang also discussed construction of the medium-sized hydropower plant on the Khingob River in eastern Tajikistan and a new heat and power station in Dushanbe. These projects will be implemented under financial support of China.
They also considered prospects of cooperation between the two countries in developing the mining industry in Tajikistan, including extraction and processing of uranium, as well as launch of joint ventures for processing agricultural goods, the press service said.
The meeting of Rahmon with Wang was followed by the negotiations with participation of the delegations of the Tajik government and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region that resulted in signing of six cooperation documents.
The Ministry of Energy and Industries (MoEI) and China’s TBEA signed agreements on construction the hydroelectric power plant (HPP) Nourobod-1 on the Khingob River and a new heat and power station in Dushanbe. The MoEI and China’s companies Tachin and San Bao signed an agreement on construction of a cement plant in Tajikistan. Tajikistan’s Academy of Science and the XUAR Science and Technologies Directorate signed a cooperation agreement. The sides also signed an agreement on creation of Tajikistan-Xinjiang subcommisison within the Tajik-Chinese joint commission for trade and economic cooperation. Barqi Tojik (Tajik electric systems) power holding and China’s TBEA signed an agreement on additional work on construction of the power grids Lolazor-Khatlon and South-North in Tajikistan.
The Chinese side also noted that that they would donate energy-saving light bulbs and equipment for use of solar power for a total amount of 1.58 Yuan to Tajikistan.
During the meeting, it was noted that 560 million dollars are expected to be provided for contraction of a 350MW Nourobod-1 HPP, construction of which would start next year. Construction of the new 220MW heat and power station in Dushanbe will start in the near future. Besides, 61 million dollars are provided for carrying out additional work on construction of the power transmission lines Lolazor-Khatlon and South-North and 51 million dollars are provided for rehabilitation of the highway from Dushanbe to Dangahra, which is the first phase of rehabilitation of the road Dushanbe-Kulob-Darvoz-Khorog-Murgab-Kulma-Kashgar, presidential press service said.
