DUSHANBE, January 4, 2010, Asia-Plus — Talks of Tajik and Iranian officials in Dushanbe have resulted in signing of six cooperation documents.
We will recall that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in Dushanbe today morning on an official visit. Senior presidential advisor Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie, Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defense, Energy, Oil, Roads and Transport, seven Majlis deputies, Secretary General of Iran’s Red Crescent Society, and several deputies to ministers are accompanying President Ahmadinejad on his visit to Tajikistan.
He was officially welcomed by Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and after the welcoming ceremony, the two presidents had private talks that were followed by talks of Tajik and Iranian officials.
A number of agreements were signed during the talks of the Iranian and Tajik officials for bilateral cooperation in the fields of judicial, mining, and dam construction activities.
Rahmon and Ahmadinejad signed a joint statement on bilateral cooperation between their countries. Tajik Prosecutor-General Bobojon Bobkhonov and Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki signed a government-to government agreement on extradition. Tajik Ministry of Energy and Industries and Iranian Ministry of Energy signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation, Tajik Main Geology Directorate and Iranian Ministry of Energy signed an agreement for establishment of national centers for earth studies and geomatics.
Besides, heads of Tajik Ministries of Energy and Industries as well as Transport and Communications on the one part and Iranian Ministry of Energy on the other part signed a memorandum on completion of construction of the Istiqlol Tunnel in Tajikistan. Tajikistan’s Ministry of Energy and Industries and Barqi Tojik (Tajik electric systems) Power Holding signed an agreement with Iran’s Farab Company on conducting feasibility study for construction of the Ayni dam on Zarafshan River in northern Tajikistan.
President Ahmadinejad is also scheduled to hold separate talks with the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s upper chamber of parliament) Saydullo Khairulloyev and Iranians living and working in Dushanbe.
Tomorrow morning, Iranian president will leave Dushanbe for Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, which is the second destination of President Ahmadinejad’s two-nation tour to the Central Asia. While in Turkmenistan President Ahmadinejad is to attend an inaugural ceremony of the gas pipeline project which would send natural gas from Turkmenistan to Iran.
