Events

MINSK, 24 May (BelTA) – Belarus and Tajikistan should not just restore the former level of economic cooperation; the two countries should dramatically expand the bilateral ties, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said as he met with Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon on 24 May, BelTA has learnt.

“The people of Tajikistan are very kind and hardworking. They are also courageous and ready to defend every inch of their land, just like the people of Belarus. Therefore, our nations have much in common. We were part of one country for many years and I think that we should not just restore the economic relations we used to have, but we should surpass that level of cooperation notwithstanding some decline in trade last year,” the Belarusian head of state said.

Alexander Lukashenko believes that the visit of the Tajikistan President will help strengthen bilateral contacts in a number of fields and will help reach a decent level of cooperation in trade and economy. The Belarusian President emphasized that the two countries have no problems regarding their political, diplomatic and military cooperation; the both countries are members of the CSTO and the CIS and have no disagreements on the international agenda.

“In other words, they are two friendly nations, states; so the two Presidents have no other option but to keep acting the same way,” the Belarusian leader said.

Alexander Lukashenko assured his Tajikistani counterpart that Belarus will do its utmost to make the ongoing visit fruitful.

Emomali Rahmon, in turn, noted that the visit to Minsk is a great opportunity to discuss Belarus-Tajikistan cooperation prospects in multiple fields. In his words, top on the agenda is the situation in the region, in particular, the withdrawal of the coalition forces from Afghanistan this year. “There are many things we should discuss in order to give a powerful impetus to the bilateral relations,” he said. The Tajikistan President expressed confidence that the two countries have considerable reserves and opportunities to deepen trade and economic cooperation. He thanked Belarus for its great help in training Tajikistani specialists, including the military and border guards. “Belarus has always lent a hand to Tajikistan in a difficult situation, both within the framework of the CSTO and on the bilateral level. In particular, Belarus provided assistance to Tajikistan in strengthening Tajikistan-Afghanistan border,” Emomali Rahmon said.