Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon arrived in Minsk, Belarus yesterday to participate in a meeting of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
Presidential adviser for international affairs, ministers of foreign affairs, defense and industry as well as some other officials are accompanying the president on this visit.
Minsk is set to host the CSTO summit, which will be chaired by Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, today. The Collective Security Council members are expected to discuss issues of international and regional security, define future tasks and adopt a number of documents aimed at securing collective security interests.
The Tajik president’s official website says Emomali Rahmon yesterday met in Minsk with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko.
The parties reportedly discussed state and prospects of further expansion of bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and Belarus.
They reportedly expressed satisfaction with the positive dynamics of Tajikistani-Belarusian relations, sustainable development of strategic partnership between the two countries in political, economic, cultural, scientific and humanitarian areas.
In this context, trade and economic cooperation was outlined as of one of priorities.
In the course of the talks, Tajik leader reportedly noted the significance of setting up a joint working group for expansion of investment cooperation. The first meeting of this group took place in February this year, according to the Tajik president’s official website.
Meanwhile, Belarusian state-run news agency BelTA says Lukashenko expressed readiness of Belarus to increase a two-way trade with Tajikistan and supported the proposal to open a Tajikistan’s trade center in Minsk.
He noted that “products Tajikistan manufactures – aluminum, cotton fiber and others — will be in great demand.”
“In short, our economy, politics, and humanitarian spheres are developing well. And in military-technical terms we are also doing well. We are ready to increase the volume of trade turnover to the extent that it is necessary for friendly Tajikistan,” Lukashenko was cited as saying.
According to data of the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan, a two-way trade between Tajikistan and Belarus over the first ten months of this year has valued at US$75,632,700, which is 12.8 percent more than in the same period last year. This consisted of Tajikistan’s exports to Belarus estimated at US$5,386,700 and Tajikistan’s imports from Bel
