On Tuesday October 5, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon had a phone conversation within his Uzbek counterpart Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
According to the Tajik president’s official website, Mirziyoyev congratulated Rahmon on his birthday and “wished him good health and success in his responsible state activities for the good of the people of Tajikistan.”
The parties reportedly discussed a wide range of issues related bilateral cooperation between their countries.
Meanwhile, the press service of the Uzbek president says that during the conversation, Mirziyoyev and Rahmon also exchanged views on a number of regional and international issues being of mutual interest, including the latest developments in neighboring Afghanistan.
The leaders of the two countries reportedly noted the importance of the full-scale implementation of the adopted agreements and ordered their relevant bodies to continue close interaction and coordination within the framework of activities of the joint intergovernmental commission.
It is to be noted that in dealing with the situation in Afghanistan, Dushanbe and Tashkent have taken different approaches. While Tashkent is more in a wait-and-accept mode toward the Taliban, Dushanbe has been vocal about its opposition to the group.
Uzbekistan’s position toward the new government in Afghanistan has been to urge the formation of an inclusive government that encompasses various rivaling powers. Experts however note that a Taliban-only government seems also to be an acceptable alternative for Uzbekistan.
Tajikistan, on the other hand, has acted unflatteringly toward the Taliban. Tajik leader expressed strong opinions on the composition of the new Afghanistan government that should include other ethnic minorities, including Tajiks. Specifically, Rahmon said, “Tajikistan will not recognize any other government formed in this country through oppression, without taking into account the position of the entire Afghan people, especially all of its national minorities.”
