DUSHANBE, March 9, 2012, Asia-Plus — Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi is currently on an official visit to Tajikistan with a focus on possible investment in Tajikistan.
On Thursday March 8, Ali Akbar Salehi held talks with his Tajik counterpart Hamrokhon Zarifi.
According to the Tajik MFA information department, Iranian involvement in large-scale projects such as the Sangtuda-2 hydroelectric power plant (HPP), the Istiqlol Tunnel as well as the project for the construction of a new railway link connecting Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and China were discussed in Zarifi’s meeting with Ali Akbar Salehi.
The sides reportedly underlined the significance of expansion of bilateral mutually beneficial cooperation between their countries in sectors like energy and transportation.
Tajik minister, in particular, stressed the necessity of increasing two-way trade between Tajikistan and Iran, attraction of Iranian investments for development of small and medium-sized entrepreneurship in Tajikistan as well as expansion of technical cooperation in the field of agriculture, the source said.
Zarifi also touched upon the issue of allotment of studying quotas for Tajik students at Iranian higher educational institutions.
Meanwhile, Iran’s news agency IRNA reports that speaking at the meeting with Hamrokhon Zarifi here, the Iranian minister voiced Tehran’s readiness to help Dushanbe broaden its transit roads.
Salehi recalled a statement by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in which the Ayatollah referred to Iran-Tajikistan ties with a special term.
The Supreme Leader referred to Tehran-Dushanbe ties as “a family relation” since the two capitals enjoyed common languages, religions and cultural commonalities, Salehi said. He added that the Supreme Leader had said that Iran and Tajikistan were like different parts of a single tree.
The Iranian minister reportedly added that the Supreme Leader had never referred to any country in a similar way before.
Referring to the geopolitical significance of Tajikistan, Salehi stressed that Iran would do all within its reach to help Tajikistan’s development and progress, IRNA said.
Zarifi and Salehi also exchanged views on a number of regional and international cooperation being of mutual interest, the Tajik MFA information department noted.
Tajik President Emomali Rahmon is expected to receive Iranian minister today afternoon.
We will recall that Ali Akbar Salehi’s three-day visit to Tajikistan started Wednesday night on an official invitation extended by his Tajik counterpart.
