DUSHANBE, June 24, 2016, Asia-Plus – Tajik President Emomali Rahmon yesterday met in the Uzbek capital with his Afghan counterpart Muhammad Ashraf Ghani ahead of a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

According to the Tajik president’s official website, they discussed a broad range of issues related to state and prospects of further expansion of bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

Rahmon, in particular, noted that Tajikistan was interested in the strengthening of the modern political system and the provision of stability and security in fraternal Afghanistan.

Stability in Afghanistan is guarantee of stability in Tajikistan, Tajik leader said.

Both presidents expressed satisfaction with the current level of bilateral cooperation between their countries and stressed that an efficient activity of the joint commission for trade and economic cooperation could play an important role in promoting the achievement of mutually beneficial goals. 

Rahmon and Ghani pointed to the necessity of intensifying joint efforts to combat regional and international threats such as extremism, terrorism and drug trafficking.

Presidents of member nations and countries with the status of observers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) have gathered in Uzbekistan''s capital, Tashkent, for a summit.  SCO leaders at the gathering have been talking about issues that include regional security and the current situation in Afghanistan.