DUSHANBE: 02 July 2024 – President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon and Prime Minister Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday signed a number of MoUs including strategic partnership and connectivity which would be very helpful in enhancing bilateral ties. These agreements will go a long way in furthering brotherly ties and of course, expanding scope of cooperation in the coming days.
PM Shehbaz also expressed the confidence that the CASA 1000, would be completed soon, bringing prosperity in this region.
On the bilateral front, the two leaders discussed the entire range of bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and Tajikistan, including trade and economy, investment, connectivity, culture, education, science & technology, defence, humanitarian assistance, parliamentary exchanges, and people-to-people contacts. They expressed satisfaction on existing fraternal ties and reaffirmed to continue their joint efforts to further strengthen Pakistan-Tajikistan ties.
MoU pertaining to relaxation of visas requirements would be very helpful for both countries in further achieving their goals.
The two leaders signed the Strategic Partnership Agreement, which upgrades bilateral relations to the level of a long-term strategic partnership. The two leaders underlined that the upgradation in bilateral relations would open new vistas of opportunities to further expand multifaceted cooperation.
To further deepen and diversify bilateral relations, the two sides signed a number of Agreements/MoUs in the fields of aviation, diplomacy, education, sports, people to people linkages, industrial cooperation, tourism, etc.
The Prime Minister is on a two-day official visit to Tajikistan on the invitation of the President of Tajikistan. The visit of the Prime Minister has reinforced the continuation of regular bilateral engagements at the highest-level and marks a significant step towards elevating the longstanding and multifaceted relationship between the two brotherly countries, to the next-level.
Pakistan, Tajikistan agree to enhance bilateral relations towards a strategic cooperation
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also assured Tajik president that he would work closely with him to further cement the brotherly ties not only in fields of agriculture, education, health and promotion of investment but also in expansion of bilateral trade.
He underlined that the both countries required to work closely and fix targets as how to increase their bilateral trade and investment, citing transportation of goods from port of Karachi to Tajikistan via Afghanistan and then from Dushanbe to Karachi port via Afghanistan through a rail-road connectivity project.
The prime minister termed this existing opportunity as ‘an area of huge economic importance for both countries’. The prime minister apprised that he had very fruitful and productive one-on-one meeting with the Tajik president, besides holding delegation level meetings in which they discussed to explore trade and investment opportunities.
He said Pakistan would be keen to be a part of China, Tajikistan and Afghanistan trade corridor project, adding ‘it would be another opportunity to broaden the multilateral trade’ in the region.
The prime minister said the two brotherly countries had been the victims of terrorism; Pakistan faced this menace for years and paid a huge price in terms of human lives and of course, suffered from colossal economic losses to the tune of billions of dollars.
Thousands of people from all walks of life laid down their lives to defeat the menace of terrorism, he said, adding the armed forces of Pakistan had been fighting this menace and its officers and Jawans gave huge sacrifices in the line of duty, besides police and other law enforcement agencies personnel also rendered huge sacrifices.
Terming it ‘a story of huge sacrifices’, the prime minister regretted that unfortunately, it had re-surged but it would be suffice to say that they had absolutely resolved to defeat this menace again with collective efforts.The prime minister also offered cooperation to Tajikistan in this regard and said the two countries could fight this menace collectively wherever it existed and in any shape.
Pakistan Tajikistan Leaders Discuss Expanding Political, Trade, and Economic Cooperation.
