On June 5-6, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov will pay an official visit to the Republic of Tajikistan. He is scheduled to meet with the President of the Republic of Tajikistan E.S. Rahmon and hold talks with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan S.Mukhriddin.
During the contacts with the country’s leadership, it is planned to discuss topical issues of bilateral relations, prospects for further development of the alliance between Moscow and Dushanbe in the political, trade, economic and humanitarian fields, exchange views on issues of mutual interest on the international and regional agendas.
Tajikistan is a reliable strategic partner and ally of Russia in the Central Asian region. Our relations are distinguished by the established warm, trusting relations between the leaders of the two countries. On May 9 of this year, President of Tajikistan E.S.Rahmon visited Moscow, where he took part in celebrations on the occasion of the 78th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.
On May 25 this year, we celebrated the anniversary date – the 30th anniversary of the fundamental Russian-Tajik document – the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tajikistan (May 25, 1993).
We are satisfied with the high level of coordination between Russia and Tajikistan on the main issues of the international and regional agendas. For most of them, the approaches of our countries are close or consonant.
For many years, Russia has maintained the status of the republic’s leading trading partner. According to the results of last year, the volume of Russian-Tajik trade increased by 18%, and in January-February this year increased by 100.4%.
The Governments, ministries and departments of our countries under the coordinating role of the bilateral Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation (co–chairs – Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation M.Sh.Khusnullin and Prime Minister of Tajikistan K.Rasulzoda) are taking steps to consolidate this positive dynamics. The next 19th meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission will be held this year in Moscow.
A new impetus to our cooperation was given by the working visit to Tajikistan of the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin on March 2-3 this year. Following its results, agreements were reached on the implementation of joint projects in the fields of industry, energy, finance, agriculture, transport, digital technologies, culture and education. During the visit, a number of important bilateral intergovernmental and interdepartmental agreements and cooperation programs were signed, expanding opportunities for cooperation in the field of industry, pensions, healthcare and human well-being, education, sports and tourism.
Extensive interregional cooperation serves as a solid foundation of trade and economic relations between Russia and Tajikistan. More than 70 Russian regions are developing business ties with the administrative-territorial entities of Tajikistan. The Ninth Conference on Interregional Cooperation “Business and Investment Partnership of Russia and Tajikistan” was held on the sidelines of M.V.Mishustin’s working visit to Tajikistan. It was attended by representatives of 16 Russian regions and more than 200 domestic companies.
Priority attention is paid by the parties to cooperation in the field of defense, military-technical cooperation, especially taking into account the challenges and threats emanating from the Afghan direction.
The 201st Russian military base serves as a reliable “barrier” to the spread of extremism, terrorism and illegal drug trafficking. Our military presence in Tajikistan – the largest outside the Russian Federation – is a significant factor of stability and security in the region, meets the interests of all CSTO allies.
Moscow and Dushanbe have established productive cooperation on Afghan issues at the bilateral level, as well as within the framework of multilateral regional platforms, such as the Moscow format of consultations on Afghanistan, the CSTO, the SCO, the mechanism of Afghanistan’s neighboring countries, etc.
Our approaches coincide on many fundamental issues on the Afghan agenda. These are the need to create an inclusive government in the country, the fight against terrorism and drug production, migration and human rights issues.
We attach paramount importance to long-term and mutually beneficial cooperation with Tajikistan in the migration sphere. We are taking consistent steps to improve the conditions of stay of citizens of the Republic on the territory of the Russian Federation, as well as to improve the legal framework and organizational structure of our cooperation in this area.
Cultural and humanitarian ties are actively developing. On the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our countries, the Days of Culture of Tajikistan were held in Russia – their opening took place in Moscow on October 24, 2022. This year it is planned to hold Days of Russian Culture in Tajikistan.
The demand for Russian higher education in Tajikistan is consistently high. More than 35 thousand Tajik students and postgraduates study at Russian universities in all forms of education, including in foreign branches and joint educational organizations.
Within the framework of strengthening the humanitarian component of the bilateral dialogue, for the sixth year under the patronage of the Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation V.I.Matvienko, a project has been implemented to send Russian subject teachers to work in secondary educational institutions of the republic. In the 2022/2023 academic year, a group of 74 teachers from our country is working in Tajik schools.
