DUSHANBE, December 5, 2011, Asia-Plus — On the sidelines of an international conference on Afghanistan, Tajik Foreign Minister held talks with his Afghan and Iranian counterparts in Bonn on Sunday.
According to the Tajik MFA information department, Hamrokhon Zarifi and Afghan Foreign minister, Dr. Zalmay Rassoul, exchanged views on the conference’s agenda and discussed issues related to regional cooperation and state and prospects of further expansion of bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and Afghanistan.
In this context, Hamrokhon Zarifi and Zalmay Rassoul underlined the significance of further development and implementation of the regional infrastructure development projects promoting reconstruction of Afghanistan’s economy and strengthening of integration processes.
Zarifi stressed once again Tajikistan’s readiness to provide wide and through support to the government and the people of Afghanistan for solution of the most important socioeconomic problems in the future as well.
Zarifi and Rassoul also considered issues related to preparing and conducting the 5th Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA-V) in Dushanbe in March 2012.
On the same day, Zarifi met with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi. They reportedly discussed the current issues of bilateral relations and prospects of further expansion of mutually beneficial cooperation between their countries in sectors like trade, transportation and energy.
According to Iran’s news agency, IRNA, the two foreign ministers also discussed the latest issues in bilateral relations and exploring the ways for expediting implementation of mutual agreements, as well as executing new projects.
Salehi and Zarifi also exchanged views on the latest developments in the Middle East, issues of Muslim countries, particularly Afghanistan and multilateral and regional cooperation.
Referring to the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran for expansion of relations with neighboring countries, Salehi said that Iran is ready to cooperate with the neighboring countries in the field of transfer of water, electricity, energy, road and railway transportation, and transit of goods.
He noted that trilateral cooperation between Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan is beneficial for the three nations and also the region.
Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi expressed his satisfaction over bilateral economic cooperation with Iran while saying that his country is interested in expediting the joint projects, especially in the field of railway, transfer of energy, and development projects, IRNA reported.
The two sides reportedly also discussed the developments in Afghanistan and satisfactory cultural relations between Tehran and Dushanbe.
