DUSHANBE, March 11, 2009, Asia-Plus — A tripartite summit meeting of presidents of Iran, Tajikistan and Afghanistan was held in Tehran Tuesday evening, according to presidential press service.
Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, in particular, noted that that expansion of relations and trilateral cooperation was to the benefit of all three countries. They stressed that all three countries could play a significant role in solving many important problems facing the region, including the Afghan problem.
The presidents outlined sectors like transportation, electricity, water and trade as areas of which could drive cooperation between the countries. Construction of new bridges across the Panj River joining Tajikistan and Afghanistan, a railway link connecting Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Iran, construction of new small and large power plants and power grids Tajikistan-Afghanistan-Iran could improve significantly socioeconomic situation within Central And South Asia, the leaders said, expressing readiness to support implementation of regional infrastructure projects. They also called for speeding up implementation of tripartite agreements.
Speaking at the meeting, President Rahmon offered foundation of a joint investment bank of Tajikistan Afghanistan and Iran. He also proposed to set up a joint committee at the level of deputy heads of appropriate ministries to control implementation of tripartite agreements, the press service said.
In the meantime, Iran’s news agency, IRNA, reported today that the three countries agreed the national coordinating council at the level of foreign ministers would hold its first meeting in Tajikistan as soon as possible and follow up the agreements reached at the Tehran summit. The three foreign ministers also got committed to follow up Tehran tripartite agreements in the Afghan city of Mazor-i Sharif in the late March, 2009, IRNA said.
Rahmon, Ahmadinejad and Karzai also considered issues related to expansion of trilateral cooperation between their countries in addressing modern challenges and threats. In this connection, President Rahmon proposed to hold a meeting of heads of power-wielding structures and law enforcement agencies of the three countries in Dushanbe in March or April this year, the press service said.
The sides also discussed ways to expand cooperation between the tree counties in the fields of education, health care and culture. The summit ended with signing of a joint declaration on further cooperation.
