A number of cooperation agreements are expected to be signed in Dushanbe during Russian president’s visit to Tajikistan, which is scheduled for this month.

“Both sides are making preparations for the upcoming visit of President Putin to Tajikistan and a number of cooperation documents are expected to be singed during the visit,” Tajik Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Nematullo Hikmatullozoda, told reporters in Dushanbe on January 31.

According to him, Tajikistan and Russia are expected to sign a number of agreements aimed at expanding cooperation between Tajikistan and Russia’s large regions.

The minister noted that volumes of trade between Tajikistan and the Russian Federation had reduced over the past two years.

“Last year, a two-way trade between Tajikistan and Russia valued at little more than one billion U.S. dollars, which was 6.3 percent less than in 2015,” Hikmatullozoda said.

“Despite this, Russia remains the major trading partner of Tajikistan and its share in Tajikistan’s external trade turnover last year accounted for 26.4 percent,” the minister stressed.

However, there is still considerable room for expansion of economic ties between the two countries, Hikmatullozoda added.