DUSHNBE, August 31, 2012, Asia-Plus — On the sidelines of the 16th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon met with Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Iran yesterday.
The Tajik president’s official website reports the sides discussed a broad range of issues related to bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran in different files. They, in particular, discussed bilateral cooperation in sectors like energy, transportation, agriculture, and road building.
Further expansion of trilateral cooperation between Tajikistan, Iran, and Afghanistan were also among major topics of the meeting.
More than 150 Iranian companies and firms now reportedly operate in Tajikistan.
Meanwhile, the Iranian news agency, IRNA, reports that Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Thursday that common language and culture of regional nations provide a proper ground for expansion of bilateral and multilateral ties, helping build a better future. The Supreme Leader said honoring traditions, ideas and costumes of people would draw their solid support.
With reliance on popular support, any government can resist foreign agents disturbing law and order, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei added.
For his part, President Rahmon reportedly expressed gratitude to Iran for hosting 16th NAM summit and said the Supreme Leader’s speech to NAM Leaders would prepare the ground for dynamism and influence of the Movement.
Pointing to enemy efforts to fan insecurity and keep regional states backward, Rahmon said through joint cooperation the plots can be thwarted, IRNA reported.
On the same day, Emomali Rahmon met with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari in Tehran.
The two discussed state and prospects of further expansion bilateral cooperation between their countries, the Tajik president’s website reported. They pointed to the necessity of speeding up work on constructing power transmission lines, highways and railway links connecting the two countries.
Rahmon and Zardari also noted that signing of trilateral agreement between Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan as well as Tajikistan’s joining a quadrilateral agreement between Pakistan, China, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan would promote further expansion of trade and economic ties between Tajikistan and Pakistan.
Issues of providing regional security and the current situation in Afghanistan also figured Rahmon’s discussions with Zardari.
Twelve Tajik-Pakistani joint ventures now reportedly function in Tajikistan, the source said.
