DUSHANBE, November 22, Asia-Plus  -- Tajik Prime Minister Oqil Oqilov, who is currently in Ashgabat to attend the CIS premiers’ meeting, yesterday afternoon held talks with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdumukhammedov, Subihiddin Muhiddinov working with presidential press service reported from Ashgabat.   

Tajik PM handed to the Turkmen president a message from President Emomali Rahmon in which the Tajik head of state confirms his participation at n official ceremony of opening of the UN regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy in Ashgabat.   

In the course of the talks Oqilov noted that Tajikistan is interested in purchasing Turkmen oil products and expand bilateral cooperation in the transportation sphere that would give impulse to construction of the transport corridor North-South and other transport arteries.   

For his part, the Turkmen president reaffirms his country’s readiness to purchase Tajik aluminum. 

The two expressed hope that Tajik-Turkmen constructive dialogue will continue, Muhiddinov said.

In the meantime, a meeting of the Council of the CIS Heads of Government that opened in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan is discussing more than 20 questions.  

 Russia’s Itar-Tass says the premiers intend to examine the question “on appropriations to set up and develop a united air defense system of CIS states in 2008”. Besides, the Council meeting will discuss “main areas of development of civil aviation and measures to raise security of flights in CIS states”.

An important document to be discussed at the meeting is an agreement on a council on inter-regional and border cooperation between states.  The document is planned to be signed at the Ashgabat meeting.    

The premiers are also expected to discuss the operation of strategic services and implementation of the plan for carrying out important measures, aimed at developing and raising efficiency of cooperation between CIS countries up to 2010. It is supposed that the meeting will adopt a joint budget of CIS bodies for 2008.

The CIS premiers’ meeting will also pay special attention to cooperation between countries in education.   

The meeting will also discuss volume of financing measures in 2008, improving quality of life of veterans and participants in local wars. The Council also plans to sign joint intergovernmental documents, including an agreement on streamlining customs procedures in exporting electricity across customs borders of CIS countries, coordination of work in the sphere of informatization of educational systems and other documents.

Besides, the premiers will also discuss a proposal by Tajikistan to proclaim the year 2008 Year of Literature and Reading in the Commonwealth of Independent States.