DUSHANBE
, January 23, Asia-Plus – Sunday evening, Tajik President Emomali Rahmonov returned from his official visit to
Turkey
.
As it had been reported earlier, President Rahmonov arrived in
Turkey
on Thursday [January 19] upon invitation of Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer.
TurkishPress.com quoted Sezer”s press office as stating that bilateral relations between
Turkey
and
Tajikistan
as well as regional and international matters were discussed during Rahmonov”s meetings in
Ankara
. Sezer and Rahmonov had a t?te-?-t?te meeting and chaired meetings between respective delegations of the two countries.
According to Rahmonov’s press service, Turkish and Tajik parties also signed several agreements. The documents included bilateral government-to-government agreements “On Partnership and Economic Cooperation between
Tajikistan
and
Turkey
” and “On Activity of Unit for Coordination of Joint Projects of Tajikistan and
Turkey
.” The parties also endorsed a long program for economic cooperation between the two countries and a plan of its implementation. They also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the area of tourism. Leaders of the two countries inked a Declaration “On Expansion of Bilateral Cooperation Between Tajikistan and
Turkey
.”
“Enhancement of economic relations will have positive impact on cultural, scientific and educational relations,” Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer was cited as saying on Thursday. For his part, Rahmonov stressed that
Turkey
gives priority to its relations with
Tajikistan
compared to other Central Asian republics, according to TurkishPress.com. ””We are ready to cooperate with
Turkey
and develop our ties in the commercial, economic, scientific, cultural and educational areas,”” noted Rahmonov.
Rahmonov also separately met with
Turkey
’s Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkish Speaker Bulent Arinc was cited as saying that he planned to visit
Tajikistan
in 2006.
On Thursday, President Emomali Rahmonov of
Tajikistan
also laid foundation of new building of the Tajik Embassy in
Ankara
on Thursday. Speaking at the ceremony, President Rahmonov said that there had been friendly relations between
Turkey
and
Tajikistan
for a long time. He recalled that
Turkey
was one of the first countries recognizing
Tajikistan
. The ceremony was attended also by Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials
On Friday January 20, Tajik President Emomali Rahmonov was presented with honorary doctorate by
Ankara
”s
Gazi
University
.
