DUSHANBE, October 27, 2011, Asia-Plus — Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is arriving in Tajikistan today evening for a three-day official visit, the Tajik MFA information department reports.
Belarusian leader is scheduled to hold talks with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon tomorrow. The sides are expected to consider a broad range of issues related to state and prospects of further expansion of bilateral cooperation between their countries.
Ten cooperation documents, including an agreement between Tajikistan and Belarus on long-term trade and economic cooperation and a joint statement by the leaders of the two countries, will be signed during Belarusian president’s visit to Tajikistan, the source said.
According to the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan, a two-way trade between Tajikistan and Belarus in January-September 2011 has valued more than 52.8 million U.S. dollars, which is 47.7 percent more than in the same period last year. This consisted of Tajikistan’s exports to Belarus estimated at 9.7 million U.S. dollars and Tajikistan’s imports from Belarus worth some 43.8 million U.S. dollars. Belarus’ major exports to Tajikistan are sugar, tractors, fluoride, chipboards, tires, furniture, medicines, and refrigerators. Belarus imports mostly cotton fiber and dried fruits from Tajikistan.
Meanwhile, during a meeting with parliament speakers from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member nations in Minsk ahead of his visit to Tajikistan, President Lukashenko offered to review the issue of further participation of Uzbekistan in the Organization.
Some media outlets quoted Lukashenko as saying that Uzbekistan is playing a triple game that does not allow it to be in the CSTO. “I have sent my observations to the President of Russia. We must make a decision on Uzbekistan,” Belarusian leader was cited as saying.
The regional security organization was initially formed in 1992 for a five-year period by the members of the CIS Collective Security Treaty (CST) — Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, which were joined by Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Belarus the following year. A 1994 treaty “reaffirmed the desire of all participating states to abstain from the use or threat of force,” and prevented signatories from joining any “other military alliances or other groups of states” directed against members states. The CST was then extended for another five-year term in April 1999, and was signed by the presidents of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. In October 2002, the group was renamed as the CSTO. Uzbekistan became a full participant in the CSTO on June 23, 2006; and its membership was formally ratified by the Uzbek parliament on 28 March 2008. The CSTO is currently an observer organization at the United Nations General Assembly.
