DUSHANBE, October 23, 2010, Asia-Plus — The 7th session of the Tajik-Belarus intergovernmental commission for trade and economic cooperation that kicked off in the Belarusian capital Minsk on October 21 is concluding today.
According to the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MEDT), the cochairmen of the commission are Tajik First Deputy Minister of Economic and Trade, Saidrahmon Nazriyev, and Belarusian First Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Petrishchenko.
The meeting considered issues related to expansion of bilateral cooperation between the two countries in energy, agrarian and joint production sectors. The sides, in particular, discussed the supply of Belarusian engineering and agricultural equipment to Tajikistan.
The meeting also considered expansion of humanitarian cooperation, cooperation between regions of the countries and development of legal foundation laid for bilateral cooperation between the two countries. The sides also agreed to increase the export of fruit and vegetables from Tajikistan and dairy products from Belarus.
Today, the Tajik delegation is visiting the Belarusian Universal Commodity Exchange, the NASB scientific centers for animal breeding and farming, the Minsk Tractor Works and the High-Tech Park, the source said.
In the meantime, Belarusian news agency, BelTA, reported on October 21 that Saidrahmon Nazriyev said that they reached an agreement that Belarus will assist Tajikistan in the construction of small hydropower stations and CHP (Combined Heat and Power) plants.
Nazriyev noted that the global economic crisis has affected the trade between Belarus and Tajikistan. In this regard, the two sides discussed a possibility of increasing trade and strengthening economic and trade cooperation.
According to BelTA, the ministerial consultations that took place in Minsk on October 21 were attended by First Deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus Igor Petrishchenko and Deputy Foreign Minister of Tajikistan Mahmoudjon Sobirov. The parties signed an action plan of cooperation between the Foreign Ministries of Belarus and Tajikistan for 2011-2012.
On October 21, a memorandum of cooperation was signed between the Belarusian Free Economic Zone Vitebsk and the Tajik Free Economic Zone Sughd, BelTA reported.
