DUSHANBE, March 14, 2014, Asia-Plus – On Thursday March 13, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon received Afghan Minister of Economy Abdul Hadi Arghandiwal, who is also co-chairman of the Tajik-Afghan intergovernmental commission for trade and economic cooperation.

According to the Tajik president’s official website, the sides discussed a wide range of issues related to economic, transportation and cultural cooperation between the two countries.

President Rahmon reportedly noted that expansion of cooperation with Afghanistan was one of priorities of Tajikistan’s foreign policy.

The sides expressed confidence that holding international Navrouz celebrations and 6th Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA-VI) in Afghanistan would promote strengthening of peace and stability in that country.

Rahmon and Arghandiwal also exchanged views on implementation of regional projects, including the Central Asia South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Project (CASA-1000), the rail link connecting Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, opening of a new border crossing point (BCP) on the Tajik-Afghan border, increase in Tajik electricity deliveries to Afghanistan, and construction of a gas pipeline from Afghanistan to Tajikistan.

The sides also considered it necessary to coordinate a draft trilateral trade and transit pact between Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

They highly appraised the current level of cultural and educational cooperation between Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

Currently, 234 Afghan students are studying at Tajik educational facilities and more than 200 Tajik medical workers are working in Afghanistan.

A special attention was reportedly given to the security issues and strengthening of the Tajik-Afghan border management.