DUSHANBE, October 29, 2011, Asia-Plus -- Tajikistan and Belarus have signed a number of cooperation documents, including an agreement on long-term trade and economic cooperation and a joint statement by the leaders of the two countries.

The documents were signed in Dushanbe on October 28 during Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko’s official visit to Tajikistan.

Belarusian leader arrived in Dushanbe Thursday evening for a three-day official visit.  At the Dushanbe airport, Belarusian leader was welcomed by Prime Minister Oqil Oqilov and other high-ranking Tajik state officials.

Friday afternoon, Alexander Lukashenko held talks with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon.  State and prospects of further expansion of economic cooperation between Tajikistan and Belarus were a major topic of the meeting.  Their talks were followed by negotiations in an enlarged format.

The negotiations resulted in signing of a joint statement by the leaders of the two countries and a number of cooperation agreements.  The sides, in particular, signed an agreement on a long-term trade and economic cooperation for 2011-2020, an agreement on temporary labor activities of Tajik nationals in Belarus and Belarusian nationals in Tajikistan, an agreement on cooperation between the ministries of economy of the two countries, an agreement on preventing and mitigating effects of emergency situations, an agreement on cultural cooperation and an agreement on cooperation in the field of youth policy.

On Saturday, President Lukashenko met with the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) Speaker Shukurjon Zuhurov and visited Tajik Technical University.

According to the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan, a two-way trade between Tajikistan and Belarus in January-September 2011 has valued more than 52.8 million U.S. dollars, which is 47.7 percent more than in the same period last year.  This consisted of Tajikistan’s exports to Belarus estimated at 9.7 million U.S. dollars and Tajikistan’s imports from Belarus worth some 43.8 million U.S. dollars.  Belarus’ major exports to Tajikistan are sugar, tractors, fluoride, chipboards, tires, furniture, medicines, and refrigerators.  Belarus imports mostly cotton fiber and dried fruits from Tajikistan.