Co-chaired by Tajik Minister of Energy and Water Resources Usmonali Usmonzoda and Iranian Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian, the 13th meeting of Tajikistan-Iran Joint Commission for Trade and Economic Cooperation kicked off in Tehran on December 2. An officail source within the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan says the meeting will last until December 6.
Meanwhile, Iranian media reports say the meeting resulted in signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU). Both sides reportedly agreed to boost bilateral economic cooperation.
IFP News says two countries agreed to promote cooperation on customs affairs, trade, engineering and cultural issues.
The Iranian energy minister emphasized the need for the promotion of economic ties between Islamic Republic of Iran and Tajikistan and added, “Today, relations between Iran and Tajikistan have been improved as compared to the past,” according to the Fars News Agency (FNA)
Ardakanian reportedly said that the Tajik minister will also attend the meeting of Board of Directors of water reservoir which is supposed to be held on December 5.
The expert panels are expected to address the issues arising from the process of implementation of the projects already signed by the two countries, Ardakanian noted.
According to IRNA, Reza Ardakanian conditioned the synchronization of the Iran-Tajikistan power grid to the establishment of electricity connection and stated that in this regard Iran is seeking to establish an electrical connection with Tajikistan. Iranian energy minister reportedly noted that synchronizing the power grid of one or more countries requires the electrical connection which “we are currently seeking to establish this electrical connection with Tajikistan, which will require quadrilateral negotiations with Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.”
He pointed out that Tajikistan is one of the largest in the world in terms of hydroelectric power capacity which 15 percent of the world's hydroelectric capacity is in the country, and said that if sufficient investment is done by building a dam it can help generate electricity to meet the regional needs.
“Tajikistan has a study plan in this area that we will participate in,” Ardakanian said.
Iran and Tajikistan should try to put the executive mechanisms into practice in due time, such as by forming joint technical and banking committees and providing the necessary conditions for carrying out the plans, including the financial resources and facilitation of administrative processes, he added, according to IFP News.
According to the Iranian minister, the agreements achieved in the meeting of the Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation mainly relate to trade and economy, as well as the banking and insurance industry.
Ardakanian also noted that the two countries have agreed to use their own currencies to finance the projects and plans, noting that another agreement on cooperation in the insurance industry is also on the agenda.
Relations between Tajikistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran are warming up.
In mid-February, former Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said that Tehran is eager to further expand ties with Dushanbe as it considers its ties with Tajikistan as “familial.”
In March, Tajikistan's Prime Minister Qokhir Rasoulzoda, at a meeting with Iran's outgoing Ambassador Hojatullah Faqani, said that Dushanbe is determined to increase economic and commercial relations with Tehran, calling for increase in volume of trade between the two countries.
“Welcome to your second homeland,” President Emomali Rahmon told his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani upon his arrival in Dushanbe for the fifth summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), on June 15.
