On Thursday April 3, The President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, received the President of Russia’s Tatarstan Republic, Rustam Minnikhanov.

The Tajik president’s official website says the parties discussed priority areas for the expansion of cooperation in industries such as manufacturing, energy, agriculture, transport, and pharmaceuticals.

Special attention was given to the creation of joint ventures, including textile factories for processing raw materials such as silk and wool, as well as the production of furniture and workwear.

Rahmon and Minnikhanov also discussed the potential for joint production of medical products.

Both sides reportedly expressed interest in expanding cultural and humanitarian ties, as well as increasing quotas for Tajik students to enable more youth to study in Tatarstan.

Emomali Rahmon noted that relations between Tajikistan and Tatarstan are entering an active phase and have great prospects for further development.

Meanwhile, according to the press service of the President of Tatarstan, the bilateral trade  Tatarstan and Tajikistan last year valued at US$77.3 million, showing an increase of more than two times.

However, both sides agreed that these figures do not reflect the full potential of bilateral cooperation.

It was emphasized that this working visit by Rustam Minnikhanov, along with Tatarstan’s business community, should serve as another stimulus for increasing a two-way trade between Tatarstan and Tajikistan.

Currently, several Tatarstan companies supply their products to Tajikistan, including cargo trucks, automotive fuel, and oil and petrochemical products.

“We are interested in expanding the presence of leading Tatarstan companies in your country’s market. This may include supplies of helicopters, oil and gas, compressor, and refrigeration equipment, agricultural machinery, and automobile tires, as well as a wide range of household chemicals, medical goods, and pharmaceutical products. In turn, Tajikistan companies could increase supplies of light industry and agricultural products to Tatarstan,” the President of Tatarstan stated during the meeting.

Additionally, Tatarstan is reportedly ready to share its developments and experience in digitalization of government services, the creation of special economic zones, and industrial techno parks.

Tatarstan is a republic of the Russian Federation, located in Eastern Europe.  It is a part of the Volga Federal District; and its capital and largest city is Kazan, an important cultural center in Russia.

Tatarstan is one of the most economically developed regions of Russia. The republic is highly industrialized and ranks second to Samara Oblast in terms of industrial production per square kilometer.