DUSHANBE, January 4, 2010, Asia-Plus — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has arrived in Dushanbe today morning on an official two-day visit.
According to the Tajik MFA information department, issues related to prospects of further expansion of bilateral relations between Tajikistan and Iran will be a major topic of a meeting of President Rahmon and President Ahmadinejad that will be followed by negotiations with participation of the government delegations of the two countries.
The delegations are expected to consider bilateral cooperation between the two countries in sectors like energy, agriculture, transport and communications. The negotiations are expected to result in signing of a number of cooperation agreements.
According to the State Committee or Statistics of Tajikistan, a two-way trade between Tajikistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran was estimated at more than 115 million U.S. dollars in January-November 2009.
Iran is currently involved in implementation of several infrastructural projects in Tajikistan and exports building materials, foodstuffs, electricity equipment, household appliances and agricultural products, to Tajikistan.
According to Iran’s news agency IRNA, 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.
Iranian Ambassador to Tajikistan Ali Asghar Sherdoust told IRNA on Sunday that several cooperation protocols will be inked during President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s visit to Tajikistan. According to him, the documents will concern cooperation in the fields of judiciary and extradition of suspects, geology and mines exploration, cultural heritage and tourism and a feasibility study for construction of Ayni dam on Zarafshan River in northern Tajikistan.
He told IRNA that President Ahmadinejad and his Tajik counterpart Emomali Rahmon will also issue a joint communiqué during the visit.
