DUSHANBE, August 28, Asia-Plus – Eight regional cooperation accords were signed on the results of Tajik-Russian parliamentary forum in Dushanbe on August 25.
Russia’s Astrakhan, Orenburg, Saratov and Ivanovo signed economic, education and labor migration deals with Tajik provinces of Sughd and Khatlon. The documents are aimed at further expansion of cooperation between regions of the two countries.
Thus, Tajikistan’s Sughd province and Russia’s Astrakhan region signed an agreement on trade-economic and scientific-technical cooperation; Tajik Khatlon province and Russian Saratov region singed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on economic and humanitarian cooperation. Besides, Tajikistan’s ministry of labor and social security and Russian Astrakhan region’s administration signed an agreement on labor activity and protection of rights of Tajik labor migrants in the territory of this region; Russia’s Ivanovo region and Tajikistan’s industries ministry signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the filed of industry; administration of the Tajik northern province of Sughd and administration of Russia’s Saratov region signed a memorandum of understanding on economic and humanitarian cooperation; Russia’s Orenburg region and Tajik Sughd province signed a memorandum of understanding on bilateral cooperation; Tajikistan’s education ministry and Russia’s Ivanovo region singed a cooperation agreement; and Russia’s federal agency for development of natural resources and Tajikistan’s chief geology administration signed an agreement on geological survey of natural resources in Tajikistan.
Following the forum, Russian Senate’s speaker Sergey Mironov told a news conference that he was very pleased with the forum results. “We discussed the entire range of bilateral relations, and the discussions were very frank,” Mironov said. Parliamentary forum will become permanent, he said, hoping that the forum would promote cooperation and trade between regions of Russia and Tajikistan.
The Majlisi Milli (Tajikistan’s upper chamber of parliament) Chairman Mahmadsaid Ubaidulloyev speaking to journalists noted that during the forum he asked Mironov for considering the possibility of applying legal regulations permitting Ukrainian citizens to stay in the Russian Federation without registration for 90 days to Tajik citizens as well.
Russian Federation Council speaker expressed hope that the Federation Council would assist in resolving that issue.
The forum participants included 200 delegates from both sides, including 21 members of Russia’s Federation Council, Eurasian Economic Community (EAEC) Secretary General Grigory Rapota, CIS Parliamentary Assembly Secretary General Mikhail Krotov, 40 officials from Russia’s regions, as well as businessmen and senior representatives from banks.
The next Tajik-Russian parliamentary forum is supposed to be held in Moscow in August 2007.
