Pakistani media reports say that at the invitation of Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon yesterday arrived in Islamabad on a two-day official visit to Pakistan.

Daily Pakistan reports that upon his arrival at the airport in the country's federal capital, Emomali Rahmon was received by Minister for Commerce Naveed Qamar.

The Tajik president’s official website says meeting and negotiations at the highest level between the Republic of Tajikistan and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan took place in Islamabad yesterday.  

At the beginning of the talks, bilateral political trust was characterized as a stable basis for partnership relations and the basis for the development of the whole set of cooperation between Tajikistan and Pakistan.

The parties exchanged views on further strengthening bilateral cooperation in a wide range of areas.

Emomali Rahmon reportedly emphasized that the further strengthening of multifaceted relations between Tajikistan and Pakistan, along with meeting the interests of the two countries, is also an important factor in the protection of stability, security and development of the region.

The focus of attention was on interstate relations in the fields of economy, trade, transport and energy, and in this context, it was considered necessary to hold regular meetings of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation for further development and strengthening of relations in these areas.

The parties also emphasized the importance of strengthening the activities of joint working groups on oil, gas and energy, the Joint Council of Entrepreneurs and the Entrepreneurial Forum, and considered the establishment of a joint council of shipping companies between the two countries appropriate, according to the Tajik president’s official website.

At the same time, during the meeting, attention was reportedly paid to the expansion of cooperation between Tajikistan and Pakistan in the fields of investment, light and food industry, mining and processing, agriculture and pharmaceutical industry, as well as launching joint ventures, including the establishment of joint enterprises in Tajikistan to process cotton, wool and leather into manufactured goods. 

Referring to the development of interstate cooperation in the field of transport, Emomali Rahmon and Shehbaz Sharif considered important to reach the international transport corridors through the roads and sea ports of Pakistan, implement transport projects connecting Tajikistan and Pakistan, as well as the construction of new regional corridors for access to sea ports.

Concerning interstate cooperation in the field of energy, the main attention was paid to the timely implementation of the CASA-1000 project as a real connector of the energy markets of the Central and South Asian region.

Expressing concern over the intensification of armed conflicts in various regions of the world, the increase in the risks of international terrorism and extremism, trafficking of weapons, drugs, cybercrime and transnational organized crimes, environmental problems, especially climate change, and the increase in natural disasters and manifestations of highly dangerous infectious diseases in the region and the world, the parties emphasized the need to strengthen cooperation in the fight against modern threats.

During the meeting, they also exchanged views on the issue of Afghanistan and further strengthening of Tajikistan-Pakistan partnership within the framework of the United Nations, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Organization of Economic Cooperation and other regional and international institutions.

The Tajik party expressed its gratitude to the Pakistani side for supporting Tajikistan's initiative to declare 2025 as the “International Year of Glacier Protection.”  The Pakistani side thanked the Tajik side for providing humanitarian aid to victims of severe floods in various regions of this country that occurred this year.

During the meeting, the parties also discussed  issues related to further expansion of bilateral cooperation  in the fields of culture, education, health, science, technology and the implementation of joint projects in these fields.  

At the end of the meeting, President Emomali Rahmon invited the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, to visit Tajikistan on an official visit at his convenience.

Pakistani Foreign Minister says Tajikistan is the closest neighbor of Pakistan in Central Asia separated only by the narrow Wakhan Corridor.  This proximity reportedly makes Tajikistan an important partner of Pakistan in Central Asia.