DUSHANBE, June 17, 2014, Asia-Plus – Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is starting an official two-day visit to Tajikistan today.
According to the Tajik MFA information department, Mr. Nawaz Sharif is scheduled to hold talks with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and Tajik Prime Minister Qohir Rasoulzoda.
Negotiations between the delegations of the two countries in the enlarged format are expected to result in signing of a number of cooperation documents.
Meanwhile, some Pakistani media sources report that the talks will encompass subjects of bilateral interest, especially referring to Afghanistan. The situation and developments taking place in Afghanistan would prominently figure during the talks between leaders of Pakistan and Tajikistan, according to them.
It is the first visit to any Central Asian states by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during his current stint.
Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif is the 18th and current Prime Minister of Pakistan, in office since June 2013. A veteran politician and industrialist, he previously served as Prime Minister from November 1990 to July 1993 and from February 1997 to October 1999. Sharif is the president of Pakistan Muslim League (N), which is currently Pakistan”s largest political party, and has formed the government. As the owner of Ittefaq Group, a leading business conglomerate, he is also one of the country”s wealthiest men. He is commonly known as the “Lion of the Punjab.”
Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Tajikistan and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan were established on June 6, 1992.
According to data of the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan, a two-way trade between Tajikistan and Pakistan in 2013 valued at 84.1 million U.S. dollars. This consisted of Tajikistan’s exports to Pakistan estimated at US$19.9 million and Tajikistan’s imports from Pakistan worth US$64.2 million.
