DUSHANBE, February 12, Asia-Plus -- Expansion of Tajik-Syrian bilateral political relations and contacts was a major topic of a meeting of Tajik President Emomali Rahmonov with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem in Damascus on February 9.

Abdufattoh Sharipov, a spokesman for the Tajik president, reported from Damascus that in the course of the talks Rahmonov had highly appraised results of his meeting with Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad and called the creation of atmosphere of benevolence and mutual political confidence “great achievement”. 

According to the spokesman, the two discussed international and regional issues and expressed concern about the augmenting Islamophobia and clash of civilizations in a number of countries cross the world.  Tajik president and Syrian foreign minister condemned cases of prejudice against Muslims and insulting of Islamic values and spoke for the necessity of Muslim nations’ taking measures to eradicate fanaticism, extremism and Islamophobia, according to the spokesman.  

President Rahmonov’s Syrian visit followed recent meetings with President Muhammad Hosmi Mubarak and other high-ranking Egyptian state officials in Cairo.