DUSHANBE February 22, Asia-Plus —
President Emomali Rahmon and his Russian counterpart, President Vladimir Putin, discussed state and prospects of further expansion of bilateral Tajik-Russian cooperation at their talks in Moscow on Thursday, Tajik presidential press service said.
President Rahmon highly appraised contribution of Vladimir Putin to the development of strategic partnership between the two countries.
The two also exchanged views on international and regional issues being of mutual interest, bilateral cooperation in sectors like economy and trade, industry, transportation and communications, as well as defense and border control issues.
Both sides expressed satisfaction with a progress of construction of the Sangtuda-1 hydropower plant in Tajikistan. Putin, in particular, mentioned the recent commissioning of the first of four units of the station.
Rahmon and Putin also expressed satisfaction with expansion of cooperation between power-wielding and law enforcement structures of the countries.
In the course of the talks, Putin noted that Russia would provide assistance to Tajikistan with removing effects of energy crisis.
During the meeting it was noted that a two-way trade between Tajikistan and Russia has tripled over the past seven years, reaching $857 million in 2007.
Tajik president stressed that 183 enterprises with participation of Russian capital now function in Tajikistan. Last year alone, they invested $160 million in the country’s economy, Rahmon said.
Rahmon and Putin also expressed satisfaction with the present level of cultural and humanitarian cooperation between the two countries.
Tajik president, in particular, offered Putin to open branches of Russian higher educational institutions such as Moscow State University, Moscow Energy Institute and St. Petersburg Mining Institute in Dushanbe.
