DUSHANBE, October 9, Asia-Plus — President Emomali Rahmon departed for Ashgabat today morning for a two-day working visit.
According to presidential press service, State Adviser to the President for International Affairs Erkin Rahmatulloyev, Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi, Energy and Industries Minister Gul Sherali, Finance Minister Safarali Najmiddinov, Barqi Tojik power holding head Sanat Rahimov, and the head of the Committee for Youth, Sports and Tourism Affairs Maliksho Nematov are accompanying the president on the visit to Turkmenistan.
Presidential press secretary Abdufattoh Sharipov told Asia-Plus that Emomali Rahmon would hold talks with his Turkmen counterpart, President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, in the Turkmen city of Turkmenbashi to discuss state and prospects of further expansion of bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and Turkmenistan as well as regional issues being of mutual interest. Bilateral energy cooperation will be among major topics of the talks, he said.
Turkmen website “Turkmenistan. Zolotoy Vek” (Turkmenistan. Golden Age) reports that regular personal contacts that have been established between the two leaders in recent years determine the high dynamics of development of interstate dialogue between Turkmenistan and Tajikistan.
Tajikistan and Turkmenistan have signed 35 interstate, government-to-government and inter-agency documents. A goof legal foundation of bilateral cooperation between the two countries has promoted development of economic and trade ties.
According to the Ministry of Economy and Development of Turkmenistan, three enterprises with participation of Tajik capital now function in Turkmenistan. Among them are the representative office of Oxin Trading Sandal, which offers consultations on the issues of commercial activity and management, the branch of the Scientific-Information Center of the Interstate Commission for Sustainable Development within the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS), and the branch of Tajik Railways’ enterprise for foreign economic relations.
Tajik-Turkmen negotiations are expected to result in signing of a number of cooperation documents, “Turkmenistan. Zolotoy Vek” reported.
According to data of the State Committee for Statistics of Tajikistan, a two-way trade between Tajikistan and Turkmenistan in January-August 2009 has valued at US$46.7311 million. This consisted of Tajikistan’s exports estimated at only US$242,000 and Tajikistan’s imports from Turkmenistan worth US$46.4891 million.
