DUSHANBE, October 30, 2013, Asia-Plus -- Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi yesterday received Sweden’s Ambassador to Tajikistan Ake Peterson, according to the Tajik MFA information department.

Swedish Ambassador to Afghanistan Peter Semneby and Sweden’s Honorary Consul in Tajikistan Ozodkhon Davlatshoyev also attended the meeting.

The sides reportedly discussed issues related to bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and Sweden and exchanged views on the situation in Afghanistan against the backdrop of withdrawal of international collation troops in 2014.

Tajik foreign minister noted that there was considerable room for expansion of bilateral cooperation between the two countries.  According to him, Tajikistan and Sweden could cooperation in sectors like education, health, hydropower, and border control.

For his part, Mr. Peterson noted that Sweden intended to expand its presence in the programs of the European Union and the OSCE for reconstruction of Afghanistan’s economy after withdrawal of the coalition forces in 2014 that would promote closer cooperation between Sweden and Central Asia’s countries.