On Friday, June 2, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon met with the President of the European Council Charles Michel in Kyrgyzstan’s resort town of Cholpon-Ata on the sidelines of the second European Union – Central Asia summit on the margins of European Union – Central Asia Summit.
The Tajik president’s official website says the parties discussed current state and prospects of further expansion of cooperation between Tajikistan and the European Union countries in various areas, with focus on attracting European capital and technical and financial assistance in the implementation of projects and economic and social development programs in Tajikistan.
Emomali Rahmon reportedly emphasized the need to speed up the process of joining Tajikistan to the General System of Preferences of the European Union (GSP+), which is considered as a factor in the expansion of trade and economic cooperation with Europe.
According to the Tajik president’s official website, the parties also exchanged views on issues related to countering security threats with a focus on the situation in Afghanistan.
The European Union’s engagement with Tajikistan has developed significantly since the country’s independence in 1991. The current basis for our relations is the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), in force since 2010. At the beginning of 2023, the EU and Tajikistan have started negotiations on an Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA).
