Tajik President Emomali Rahmon yesterday afternoon left Dushanbe for Brussels on a working visit, according to the Tajik president’s official website.
Foreign minister, presidential adviser on foreign relations, director of the agency on the state material reserves and some other officials are accompanying Rahmon on this trip to the Kingdom of Belgium.
A source within the Tajik government says Emomali Rahmon is paying working visit to Brussels at the invitation of the European Council President Charles Michel and the Afghanistan problem will be the main topic of negotiations between the Tajik leaders and high-raking officials of the European Union.
The parties, in particular, are expected to discuss threats and challenges emanating from Afghanistan, the provision of targeted humanitarian assistance by the international community to the Afghan people, who are facing socio-economic crisis, the source told Asia-Plus in an interview.
Recall, President Emomali Rahmon had phone talks with European Council President Charles Michel on August 26. The phone conversation that took place at the initiative of European Council President Charles Michel focused on the current situation in Afghanistan and formation of the inclusive government in that country, During the talks, Charles Michel reputedly invited Emomali Rahmon to pay working visit to Brussels.
It is to be noted that the one country in the Central Asian region Tajikistan that has steadfastly expressed its dissatisfaction at the change in government in Afghanistan is neighboring Tajikistan.
Comments from Tajik President Emomali Rahmon about the need for inclusiveness in the Taliban’s government were ill-received in Kabul, where representatives of the militant group suggested the Tajik leader would do better to refrain from commenting on Afghanistan.
Tajikistan has moved extra forces up to the Afghan border and the Tajik president paid a visit to a border area to watch a military parade. The Taliban has brought up extra forces to the border with Tajikistan, including Tajik citizens who are members of extremist groups in Afghanistan and whom the Taliban recently armed with captured U.S. military weapons and equipment.
Russia has called for calm, and others are urging Tajikistan and Afghanistan to lower tensions.
