DUSHANBE, July 29, 2008, Asia-Plus — Over the first six months of this year, Tajikistan has signed 30 bilateral documents, including 14 interstate, government-to-government and inter-agency agreements.
Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi remarked this yesterday, while telling a press conference in Dushanbe. The minister reminded that over the report period, President Emomali Rahmon had paid official visits to Iran, Algeria and Kazakhstan, as well as had taken part at an informal CIS summit in Russia and a summit of heads of state of member nations of the Organization of Islamic Conference in Senegal.
Over the same six-month period, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has paid an official visit to Tajikistan and Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev has been to the country for a working visit, the minister said.
On the relations with Ukraine, Zarifi noted that Yushchenko’s visit to Tajikistan had resulted in signing of eight important bilateral documents. According to him, President Emomali Rahmon will pay an official visit to Ukraine at the end of this year.
Cooperation with Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan has also developed substantially over the report period, the minister said.
Asked about a process of delineation of Tajikistan’s common border with Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, Zarifi said that that problem is a legacy of the Soviet time.
“During a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, I asked him to give use an opportunity to work in Moscow archives because we do not have documents on some stretches of the borders,” said the minister. “The work is under way and all issues will be solved gradually.”
Commenting on a visa regime between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, Zarifi noted that each country has the right “to introduce one or another regime.” “Of course, we and Uzbekistan have many in common and it is necessary to make travels of people easier; however, it is improper to fix a specific time for solution of this issue.”
Asked about construction of the hydropower plant on the Zarafshon River in northern Tajikistan, the minister noted that the power plants are built for promoting development of the economies of the countries of the region but not for constituting problems. “Uzbekistan suggested that independent examination of the project should be conducted and we asked Germany to conduct it,” said Zarifi, “German specialists have said that implementation of the project will not affect the neighboring countries.”
