DUSHANBE, December 3, Asia-Plus – Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi has held a number of meetings with his counterparts from the OSCE participating countries during his visit to Madrid to attend the 15th session of the OSCE Ministerial Council that ended there on November 30, information posted on the Tajik MFA website said. .
Zarifi’s meeting with Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, who is the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, focused on state of bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and Spain. Tajik minister noted that Tajikistan is interested in experience of Spain in building hydropower facilities and dams. The sides also exchanged views on the Afghan problem and ways to toughen efforts against drug trafficking.
During his stay in Madrid, Zarifi also med with his Norwegian Jonas Gahr Støre. The two discussed a broad range of issues related to cooperation between Tajikistan and Norway within the framework of OSCE as well as in a bilateral format.
Zarifi’s meeting with Finnish Foreign Minister Ilkka Kanerva, who is the future OSCE Chairman-in-Office, focused on expansion of political, economic and humanitarian cooperation in the Central Asian region. Zarifi briefed Kanerva on the last initiatives of the Tajik government in the field of joint use of water and energy resources in the region.
Tajik minister also held talks with Mr. Hans Vinkler, State Secretary at Austria’s MFA, who headed the Austrian delegation at the 15th session of the Ministerial Council in Madrid.
Foreign ministers and high-level representatives from 56 OSCE participating countries agreed OSCE support to Afghanistan and the OSCE Chairmanships for the 2009-2011 period at the 15th session of the Ministerial Council.
The Ministerial Council approved a decision to step up the OSCE”s engagement with Afghanistan, with a particular focus on intensifying OSCE action to help secure and manage borders between the OSCE”s Central Asian countries and Afghanistan, train police, and support the fight against drug trafficking. The decision follows a request for assistance in these areas by Afghanistan in September. An OSCE project to train Afghanistan”s anti-drug police was launched at the beginning of November.
