Jaishankar says huge potential for further strengthening Indo-Tajik economic cooperation

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said that re is potential for furr bolstering India-Tajikistan ecomic cooperation after his meeting with his Tajikistan counterpart Sirojiddin Muhriddin and urged business community on both sides to eng more intensively with each or.

Jaishankar, who is in Tajikistan's capital Dushanbe, attended 9th Heart of Asia Ministerial Conference on Afghanistan on Tuesday. It is his first bilateral official visit to key Central Asian country as Foreign Minister.

In a statement, he said that 9th Ministerial Conference of Heart of Asia – Istanbul Process on Afghanistan was indeed a timely one.

“President of Tajikistan Emamoli Rahmon emphasised on greater ecomic cooperation between our two countries, particularly in respect of investments from Indian companies in Tajikistan. This will be a focus area of our future cooperation,” Jaishankar said.

minister said that he had “detailed talks” with Foreign Minister Sirojiddin on “all aspects of our bilateral relationship as well as issues of regional and international interest”.

“Sirojiddin and I shared a common view that while our bilateral strategic relations have grown and expanded over years, re is potential for furr strengning our ecomic cooperation.

“We would encour business community, Chambers and trade bodies on both sides to eng more intensively with each or while governments will continue to play a facilitating role,” he said.

Development cooperation has also become an important pillar of bilateral relationship, Jaishankar said.

“We have successfully commissioned a number of projects over years in Tajikistan under our grant assistance including IT equipment in schools, food processing plant, engineering workshop, pharmaceutical plant, IT centres, rehabilitation and modernisation of Varzob-1 hydroelectric power plant among ors.

“We are happy to be involved in 8-laning of Dushanbe-Chortut highway, which once completed next year, would greatly help in decongesting Dushanbe. We are also looking at more community development grant projects as well as projects in energy and transport sectors under our Line of Credit in Tajikistan,” he said.

Training and capacity building would continue to be one of focus areas of cooperation, minister said.

“Given our common interest in maintaining peace and security in region, defence and security cooperation occupies a very important role in our overall cooperation matrix. I had very productive discussions in this regard with Defence Minister Colonel General Sherali Mirzo. Indo-Tajik Friendship hospital (ITFH) continues to be one of important symbols of our cooperation,” Jaishankar said.

On multilateral front, both countries support each or in UN and or multilateral fora including in SCO, he said.

“We would keep Tajikistan’s priorities in our mind during our current UN Security Council n-permanent membership,” minister said.

“Among regional issues, we also discussed Afghanistan. We share a similar outlook that a durable peace in Afghanistan would require harmonizing interests of all, both within and around that country.

“And if peace process is to be successful, n it is necessary to ensure that negotiating parties continue to eng in good faith with a serious commitment towards reaching a political solution. And it should be based on foundational principles to which we all subscribe. And it should be based on foundational principles to which we all subscribe,” Jaishankar said.

This year is an important year in calendar of Tajikistan when it celebrates 30 years of its independence and holds Presidency of SCO in its 20th anniversary year, minister said.

“We are happy to extend our support to Tajikistan for organization of SCO Summit in Dushanbe. Let me take this opportunity to congratulate Government and people of Tajikistan on this important milestone of its 30th year of independence.

“And fact that during se unprecedented times, we were able to supply ‘Made in India’ vaccines to Tajikistan recently as well as medicines against COVID-19 speaks of our close partnership,” he said.

India-Tajikistan bilateral relations have been considerably strengned over years and two countries look forward to furr deepening ties, he said.