DUSHANBE, March 25, Asia-Plus – The second round of talks between foreign ministers Tajikistan, Iran and Afghanistan that opened in Dushanbe on March 24 opened in the Tajik capital today.
During the first round that ended on Monday, Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi and his Afghan and Iranian counterparts Rangin Dadfar Spanta and Manouchehr Mottaki discussed ways of developing ties and trilateral cooperation in the meeting.
Iran’s news agency IRNA said that Zarifi noted that increasing economic cooperation between the three Persian speaking countries was the main subject of the meeting.
Exchanging views on political issues, cultural and scientific cooperation and ways of deepening cooperation in the field of joint projects are among other goals of the two-day meeting, Tajik FM said.
Referring to the existing opportunities and common goals of the three countries, Mottaki expressed hope that the meeting would put the common interests in the form of plans and operational economic projects and design trilateral mechanism.
He added, “Among common problems of the three countries are drug smuggling and terrorism which have had negative consequences on regional security and stability.”
Spanta, for his part, referred to the common language of the three countries and expressed hope that the meeting could be a new stage on developing economic cooperation between the three countries.
Mottaki and Dadfar Spanta arrived in Dushanbe on Monday to attend the trilateral meeting of foreign ministers.
