DUSHANBE, March 2, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- On Friday March 2, President Emomali Rahmon received visiting UK Minister of State for the Armed Forces Nick Harvey.

According to the presidential press service, Rahmon and Harvey discussed a broad range of issues related to state and prospects of further expansion of bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and the United Kingdom.

Tajik leader named Great Britain one of important partners of Tajikistan in Europe and noted that Tajikistan was interested in expanding cooperation with the United Kingdom.

For his part, Mr. Harvey reportedly appreciated Tajikistan’s support for international forces to establish peace and stability in Afghanistan.

Afghan problems were among major topics of the talks and Mr. Harvey stressed that international community must assist Tajikistan with arranging reliable control of its common border with Afghanistan because Tajikistan is in the first line of the fight against modern threats, the source said.

Born in 1961, Mr. Harvey was educated at Queen''s College, Taunton and Middlesex University.  He is a British Liberal Democrat politician.  Mr. Harvey is the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Devon.