KHUJAND, October 18, 2014, Asia-Plus -- Valery Bondarenko has been appointed new Russian General Consul in Khujand, replacing Aleksandr Kopnin.

On Friday October 17, Sughd governor Abdurahmon Qodiri received Aleksandr Kopnin and Valery Bondarenko, according to the Sughd regional administration.

Qodiri reportedly congratulated Bondarenko on his appointment as the Russian General Consul in Khujand and expressed hope that he would take efforts to promote further expansion of bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and the Russian Federation.

To-date, Tajikistan’s northern Sughd province has reportedly signed cooperation memorandums and agreements with a number of Russia’s federal subjects such as the Astrakhan, Sverdlovsk and Orenburg oblasts as well as Altai Krai.

Besides, agreements on regional cooperation with Samara and Novosibirsk oblasts are still in the drafting stage.

The Russian Consulate General in Khujand is reportedly one of 28 foreign representations in Tajikistan and the only foreign representation in Khujand.  The Russian Consulate General in Khujand is one of 297 Russian diplomatic and consular representations abroad.