DUSHANBE, August 9, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- On Saturday August 7, Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi held talks with his Uzbek counterpart Vladimir Norov in the Uzbek capital Tashkent on sidelines of the third session of the Central Asia plus Japan Dialogue, according to the Tajik MFA information department.

The two exchanged views on cooperation between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan both in bilateral and multilateral formats.  Zarifi and Norov, in particular, discussed issues related to transit of Tajikistan-bound cargo via Uzbek territory, the current situation in Kyrgyzstan, as well as establishment of peace and stability in Afghanistan.

The same day, Zarifi met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan Katsuya Okada in Tashkent.  The sides considered bilateral cooperation between their countries as well as cooperation between Tajikistan and Japan within international organizations and institutions.  Zarifi and Okada also discussed the implementation of Japan’s grant projects in Tajikistan and exchanged views on the current situation in Afghanistan and establishment of peace and stability in this country, the information department said.