"Azerbaijani-Tajik relations are focused on long-term prospects"

Tajikistan attaches great importance to developing comprehensive cooperation with friendly Azerbaijan, current relations with which are established based on friendship, trust and mutual understanding, Tajik ambassador to Azerbaijan Zokir Vazirov said.

"Currently the Tajik-Azerbaijani relations are at a good level and have a positive tendency for greater cooperation," said ambassador.

Vazirov said good political contacts have been established between the two countries, and a clear evidence for this is reciprocal official visits of the Presidents Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan.

During these visits, the two friendly countries have signed official documents that regulate the cooperation in various directions, and the basic document is considered the Agreement on Friendship and Cooperation between the Republic of Tajikistan and Republic of Azerbaijan," the diplomat said.

The ambassador said Tajikistan and Azerbaijan successfully cooperate both bilaterally and multilaterally. "The positions of our friendly countries coincide on many international and regional issues. An important step in the history of relations between the two countries is to open diplomatic missions of Azerbaijan in Dushanbe and Tajikistan in Baku," he said.

According to Vazirov, the legal basis of relations of Tajikistan and Azerbaijan has strengthened significantly in recent years of independence, and the ministries and departments of both countries have established quite a good level of relations and cooperation, especially in spheres such as industry, free trade, communications, education, statistics, taxation, etc.

"I would like to note that the cooperation between our countries in many spheres requires the establishment of necessary infrastructure taking into account their geographical positions. In this sense, the efforts made within the TRACECA project may revive the Great Silk Way in other, contemporary quality. Tajikistan is interested in rehabilitation of communication corridors to facilitate international trade. The Government of Tajikistan considers as a priority the solution of these issues. Currently, the TRACECA program is underway and significant progress has already been made," said the diplomat.

In addition, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan cooperate within the CIS and such authoritative organizations of the Islamic world as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Economic Cooperation Organization.

The diplomat said the bulk of trade between Tajikistan and Azerbaijan accounts for the Tajik TALCO Aluminium Company, products of which are transported via Azerbaijani marine and rail ways to Europe. For the production of its products, the TALCO Company buys oil raw materials from plants and enterprises in Azerbaijan, he said.

"Presently, our countries have a huge untapped potential, and it is possibly to confidently say that the trade and economic relations between the relevant agencies of Tajikistan and Azerbaijan have all chances for further development and deepening," said the ambassador.

Vazirov said bilateral cooperation in cultural sphere has strengthened significantly.

Dushanbe successfully hosted the Culture Days of Azerbaijan and Baku and Ganja - Culture Days of Tajikistan. Meetings of writers, composers and artists of our friendly countries were conducted as part of these activities.

"In general, the Tajik-Azerbaijani relations in terms of economic cooperation and political and cultural spheres will continue to progressively move towards comprehensive strengthening of partnership between our countries based on long-term and fundamental interests of both peoples and countries," the diplomat said in conclusion.

Diplomatic relations between Tajikistan and Azerbaijan were established on May 29, 1992.


/Trend/