Pakistan, Tajikistan vow to enhance ties to new heights
ISLAMABAD, March 8 (APP): Pakistan and Tajikistan on Tuesday expressed determination to enhance their friendship and partnership to ‘new heights’ through increased cooperation in diverse fields, including trade and economy, infrastructure, communication, energy, agriculture, health and sports. This determination was made during wide-ranging one-on-one as well as delegation level talks between Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon here at the PM House, that followed the signing of a comprehensive Joint Declaration, covering all areas of cooperation.
The two sides also signed bilateral agreements to enhance cooperation between Pakistan and Tajikistan in the areas of food, agriculture, health and sports.
Later at a joint press stakeout, Prime Minister Gilani and President Rahmon termed their talks as well as agreements extremely “productive and future oriented” and “a step forward” to further strengthen their ties.
Prime Minister Gilani said that Pakistan attached high importance to further strengthening its brotherly relations and partnership with Tajikistan, adding, “Tajikistan is our near neighbour separated by Wakhan corridor. Our two countries enjoy deep rooted bonds of history, culture, literature and traditions.”
He expressed satisfaction over the talks during which the two sides held in-depth review of the bilateral relations as well as the regional and international situation.
“Our two countries enjoy similarity of views on all important issues. We are determined to enhance our friendship and partnership to new heights”, he added.
The Prime Minister said that the comprehensive Joint Declaration signed between the two countries provided a broad ranging framework for the future direction of bilateral relations, adding, “this declaration covers all key areas of bilateral cooperation”.
“Our mutual interaction was extremely cordial, productive and future oriented”, he said and added the two sides also signed agreements on Health, Food and Agriculture and Sports.
The Prime Minister also referred to the meeting of President Emomali Rahmon and President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday and said that they held in-depth exchange of views.
President Zardari also decorated President Rahmon with the highest Civil Award of Pakistan, he said and added that President Rahmon would be visiting Karachi on Wednesday where he would visit the Mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam and also participate in a business forum.
The Prime Minister on this occasion also expressed good wishes for the progress and prosperity of the brotherly people of Tajikistan.
President Emomali Rahmon said his visit on the invitation of President Zardari was aimed at not only to strengthen bilateral relations but to exchange views on crucial regional and international issues, with particular focus on the role of two countries in resolving these issues.
The Tajik President termed his talks with the Pakistani leadership, including the President and the Prime Minister, as “very substantive and constructive”.
He was confident that Pakistan-Tajikistan Business Forum to be held in Karachi on Wednesday would open a “new horizon of cooperation” to help boost bilateral relations.
President Emomali Rahmon termed the signing of agreements between Pakistan and Tajikistan on food, agriculture, health and sports as a “step forward” in strengthening ties and said there existed a lot of opportunities of bilateral trade.
The Tajik President said that the two sides also deliberated on the early realization of Central Asia South Asia - CASA-1000 electricity project, adding, Russia had also expressed its willingness to support the project.
He said that both the countries were determined to cooperate in infrastructure development projects, hydro-power plants and joint ventures, adding, his country would provide on reciprocal basis free land to Pakistan for the establishment of free economic zones.
President Rahmon said,”The two sides share views on critical regional issues and have reaffirmed to play their due role in strengthening cooperation to achieve peace and stability in the region and curb the menace of terrorism and narco trade”.
He said,” Pakistan and Tajikistan recognize that fighting terrorism and extremism as well as drug trafficking are vital for peace and security of the region”.
The Tajik President said that both the countries pledged to developing
regional cooperation under the umbrella of regional organizations such as Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).
He said that Tajikistan was supportive of Pakistan-India dialogue process and would advocate for resolving issues through dialogue and negotiations.
To a question about CASA-1000 project, Prime Minister Gilani termed the project as “very important” for Pakistan, under which Pakistan would initially get 1000 Mega Watt of electricity from Tajikistan.
Gilani further said that Pakistan had also suggested a trilateral transit trade agreement between Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan to facilitate Tajik trade from Pakistani seaports.
President Rahmon responding to the same query termed CASA-1000 project as “one of the first and biggest regional project”, under which over 1100 kilometers of electricity transmission line would be laid from Kyrgyzstan to Pakistan via Tajikistan and Afghanistan with the help of World Bank.
The feasibility study of the project is to be completed by May 1, 2011, he added.
The Tajik President mentioned three times increase in the bilateral trade between Pakistan and Tajikistan over the last two years and said that his country was committed to double its efforts to further augment the trade.
President Rahmon said his government would also consider the signing of a trilateral transit trade agreement involving Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan.
Prime Minister Gilani appreciated the vision of President Rahmon on the establishment of hydro-power projects and said that Pakistan would abide by the terms and conditions of the CASA-1000 agreement.
To a question about terrorism and extremism, President Rahmon said that the two sides held wide-ranging discussion on various issues of mutual interest and concern, including terrorism and extremism.
He said that terrorism and extremism were not only the problems of Pakistan or Tajikistan, rather they were global issues and needed regional and international cooperation and collective efforts, as no country alone could deal with this threat on its own.
President Rahmon, however, added that as far as Pakistan and Tajikistan were concerned, they were already cooperating in this respect through intelligence sharing and the cooperation between the two countries’ ministries of interior.
The Tajik President on this occasion also congratulated the women of Pakistan on the 100th anniversary of International Women Day.