DUSHANBE, October 5 (Itar-Tass) — Tajikistan is satisfied with the general level of multifaceted bilateral relations with its main strategic partner - the Russian Federation, but expects from the official visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin “a major breakthrough on the economic front of bilateral cooperation.” Dushanbe’s hopes were announced on Thursday in an interview with Itar-Tass by Tajikistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Davlat Nazriyev. The Russian president arrived in Dushanbe on the evening of October 4 on a two-day official visit.
“Relations with the Russian Federation are of paramount importance among Tajikistan’s foreign policy priorities,” said Nazriyev, pointing out that “these relations are based on the principles of strategic partnership and are defined by the basic interstate agreements.” At the same time, emphasising the high level of cooperation in the military-technical and humanitarian spheres, Dushanbe would like to have the same good results also on the “economic front,” in such promising sectors as the hydropower industry, geological prospecting and industrial production. According to the Tajikistani Foreign Ministry spokesman, he referred to “such large-scale joint investment projects as the Sangtuda-1 hydropower plant on the Vakhsh River in Tajikistan, the participation of Russian companies in the ore mining industry, in the development of promising fields with hydrocarbons reserves.”
Tajikistani President Emomali Rakhmon also emphasised the importance of the “economic component” of Tajikistani-Russian cooperation during a bilateral meeting with Vladimir Putin in Moscow this May, stressing that “Russia and Tajikistan have no serious unresolved problems, and we will settle several existing issues with taking into account the interests of both sides.” Then, according to the press service of the President of Tajikistan, “the two heads of state also issued orders for the next meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on trade and economic and technical cooperation between the two countries to consider the expansion of economic and investment cooperation, especially in the spheres of the hydropower industry, oil and natural gas exploration and production and development of other natural resources in Tajikistan.”
The issue of labour migration is regarded by Dushanbe as another priority issue at Friday’s talks. The improvement of the regulatory framework for cooperation in the field of labour migration, legal and social protection remains an important aspect at this stage. These draft documents, according to the Tajikistani government sources, will be on “the table of the two presidents.” However, officials of Tajikistan do not comment on the situation around the Russian 201st military base regarding the terms and conditions of the military contingent’s deployment in the republic.
It is highlighted in the Tajikistani Foreign Ministry’s official press release that the signing of a package of documents, including on economic and cultural cooperation, as well as in the sphere of security is planned on the talks’ results. The presidents of Russia and Tajikistan will make a brief statement to the media and visit the location of Russia’s 201st military base.