Tajik President to Visit Pakistan for Two Days Starting Tomorrow

Emomali Rahmon, the President of Tajikistan, has decided to visit Pakistan for two days and will arrive in the country tomorrow. This was confirmed by the Foreign Office early on Tuesday, soon after the news first surfaced. A statement released by the FO revealed that the President had been issued a special invite by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan. 

The communique further added that the leader of Tajikistan will be accompanied by a delegation comprising of high-level officers. During his visit, he will lead his delegation alongside the Prime Minister, who will lead his own delegation, as the two sides engage in talks. 

The representatives of both the countries will sit down together to exchange views regarding their deepening bilateral cooperation in a wide range of areas, such as trade, politics, investment, economy, energy, culture, defense, security, regional connectivity, and education. 

The FO went on to add that there are a bunch of agreements and MoUs that the two sides are expected to sign. The visiting dignitary is also scheduled to have a private meeting with the President of Pakistan, Dr. Arif Alvi. 

The last bilateral visit by the Tajik President was back in November of 2015. Where the multilateral context is concerned, President Rahmon came to the capital city of Pakistan in March of 2017 for the 13th ECO Summit. 

His forthcoming visit is expected to reinforce the efforts being made by both the countries to cement a multi-dimensional, long-term relationship. 

The statement by the Foreign Office maintained that Tajikistan and Pakistan have enjoyed close brotherly relations for ages, which have been marked by shared history, cultural affinities, and faith. It went on to add that their ties are characterized by shared perceptions, a common desire to promote stability, development, and peace in the region, as well as mutual respect. 

In addition, the communique said that Tajikistan is vital for the country, as it will take it closer towards its goal of enhanced cooperation and closer ties with various countries in Central Asia. 

The vision that Pakistan holds lays special emphasis on forging deeper investment, security, energy, people-to-people, and trade links. The two countries also share similar views on important international and regional issues. Moreover, they cooperate closely from time to time on many multilateral fora. 

As of now, Tajikistan chairs the SCO. The Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, paid a visit to Dushanbe in March of 2021, especially to mark his presence at the Ministerial Meeting held related to the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process (HoA-IP). He also paid a bilateral visit to the country of Tajikistan after the meeting. 

The FO informed that on the 25th of May 2021, the two countries sat down together to hold their 5th round of Pakistan-Tajikistan Bilateral Political Consultations (BPC), which was attended by the Foreign Secretary, as well as First Deputy Foreign Minister. Together, the two sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations.