DUSHANBE, April 16, Asia-Plus — On Saturday April 14, President Emomali Rahmon met with visiting OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos.
Speaking to journalists after a meeting with President Rahmon, Minister Moratinos said that Spain and Tajikistan share similar stances on many problems. “Our common opinion is to intensify relations both in political and economic fields,” Moratinos noted.
He also appreciated Tajikistan’s providing its air space to Spanish planes for making transit flights to support troops participating in antiterrorist operation in Afghanistan.
Dwelling on Tajikistan’s membership of the OSCE, the OSCE Chairman said that the level of cooperation between Tajik authorities and the OSCE Center in Dushanbe is “excellent” and a large number of joint projects and programs are being implemented by Tajikistan and the OSCE. “During the meeting, we attached an important significance to cooperation in political and economic spheres and underlined the importance of the Central Asian region and a role of Tajikistan in it as participating state of the OSCE,” Moratinos said.
According to him, it was decided to open in Dushanbe a center for instructing customs officers and border troops in modern methods of fighting trafficking in drugs and weapons.
“We also discussed economic issues and the environmental protection problems,” the OSCE Chairman said, adding that a special conference on transport problems is scheduled to be held in Dushanbe in November.
On the humanitarian cooperation between Tajikistan and the OSCE, Moratinos noted that President Rahmon had expressed wish to continue cooperation with the OSCE on the election-related issues, development of democratization process and strengthening of a role of civil society. “It is desirable that your parliament should endorse the law on non-government organizations that would meet OSCE principles and commitments,” the OSCE Chairman-in-Office said.
Dwelling on the situation in the region, Moratinos stressed that Tajikistan is southern border of the OSCE. “It is Tajikistan that acutely experiences problems and challenges,” Moratinos said, noting that the Central Asian region requires its place in international community; it attracts attention of both the OSCE and the European Union and Spain. “We need dynamism and stability in this region,” said the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, “And perspectives are good here.”
He also assessed positively a level of democracy in Tajikistan. “It is necessary that the government and democratic institutions should be more efficient and accountable to society and citizens.”
Moratinos noted that he does not consider spreading of the Taliban to the countries of the region possible. “However, there is concern about their actions, and the OSCE, the European Union and Spain share this concern,” said he, “International community should learn a lesson from history and listen to advices and proposals coming from the countries of the region, as these advices may help stabilize Afghanistan because these countries know the situation better than others.”
Minister Moratinos also noted that the 2007 Spanish OSCE Chairmanship had made fully engaging Central Asia a priority for the Organization, reflecting the vital role played by Tajikistan and its neighbours.
The visit to Bishkek was part of a tour of Central Asia.
