DUSHANBE, March 26, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- Tajikistan has always been interested in establishment of peace and stability in Afghanistan and reconstruction of its economy.

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon remarked this on March 26, while inaugurating a regional conference on Afghanistan in Dushanbe.

The two-day gathering, which is the fifth such regional conference focusing on security in Afghanistan and the region, has brought together the presidents of Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan.

The conference is expected to follow up on the decisions to strengthen regional economic cooperation reached at the last gathering in Istanbul.

Addressing the conference, Rahmon noted that gradual handover of security responsibilities to Afghan forces requires thorough preparedness of Afghan troops for fighting terrorism, extremism and organized crime.  He noted that Tajikistan was ready to provide its training centers for training of military and law enforcement personnel of Afghanistan.

At the same time, President Rahmon noted that use of military methods was not enough for providing peaceful life in Afghanistan.  He pointed to the necessity of implementation of social and economic development projects and programs.

According to Emomali Rahmon, Tajikistan could help Afghanistan rehabilitate its irrigation system and irrigate its areas under crops.  The construction of a number of reservoirs in Tajikistan and Afghanistan as sources of water reserves and cheap electrical power may become the main factors contributing to development of fallow lands in Afghanistan and rehabilitation of Afghanistan’s agrarian sector.

“An active involvement of Afghanistan in the process of regional cooperation through expansion of trade and economic cooperation with neighboring countries is one of the key factors of sustainable socioeconomic development of this country,” President Rahmon stressed, pointing to the necessity of use of economic opportunities and natural resources of Afghanistan itself to solve problems facing the country.

International experts have already studied the rail route between Tajikistan and Afghanistan and connection of this rail link to the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan railway,” said the Tajik president, “In the future, this rail link will be connected to Kyrgyzstan and China that will allow boosting regional trade.”

Tajik leader also expressed confidence that the Central Asia South Asia Electricity Trade and Transmission Project (CASA 1000) would allow solving the problem of electricity shortages in Afghanistan and Pakistan.  “Meanwhile, the construction of a gas pipeline from Turkmenistan via Afghanistan to Pakistan and India and further connection of Tajikistan to this pipeline will help meet requirements of the countries of the region in natural gas,” the Tajik president stressed.