DUSHANBE, September 30, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- Tajik and Russian ruling political parties – the People’s Democratic Party of Tajikistan (PDPT) and United Russia – are expected to sign a cooperation agreement in the near future.

Usmon Solehov, head of the PDPT public relations department, told Asia-Plus today that an agreement on that subject has been reached at a meeting of the PDPT first deputy chairman Safar Safarov with Boris Gryzlov, chairman of the United Russia Supreme Council, in Moscow.

“The PDPT delegation, led by Safar Safarov, attended the next congress of United Russia that took place in Moscow on September 24,” Solehov said.

According to him, Safarov and Gryzlov discussed issues related to interaction between the parties in various spheres.

Founded in 1993, the People''s Democratic Party of Tajikistan is the biggest political party in Tajikistan.  Its chairman is President Emomali Rahmon.  The PDPT now controls more than 70 percent of the sets in the parliament.  It is the largest party, boasting more than 150,000 registered members.

United Russia is the largest party in Russia, currently holding 315 of the 450 seats in the State Duma.  The party was founded in December 2001, through a merger of the Unity and Fatherland-All Russia parties.  Ideologically, it self-identifies as a "Russian conservative" party, and it supports the policies of the presidential administration of Dmitry Medvedev.  The party''s association with former President and current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who is currently the leader of United Russia, has been the key to its success.  United Russia now has more than 2 million members.