DUSHANBE, July 13, 2011, Asia-Plus -- On Tuesday July12, President Emomali Rahmon extended condolences to his Russian counterpart, President Dmitry Medvedev, over the recent ship tragedy in the Tatarstan.

88 people, many of them children, were killed and dozens of other people were reported missing after an old tourist boat sank in central Russia last Sunday.  79 were rescued on the River Volga in Tatarstan, about 750 kilometers east of Moscow.

Tajik leader also sent a telegram of condolences to Afghan President Hamid Karzai over the death of his younger brother Ahmad Wali Karzai.

In his message, President Rahmon reiterated readiness of Tajikistan to expand cooperation with Afghanistan in combating international terrorism, the Tajik presidential press service said.

The half-brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Ahmad Wali Karzai, a leading power broker in the country''s south, was shot dead at his home in Kandahar on July 12.  He was shot twice by his long-time head of security, Sardar Mohammed, who was himself killed almost immediately.  The Taliban said they carried out the attack.