DUSHANBE, February 15, Asia-Plus - During his stay in Ashgabat to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new Turkmen president, President Emomali Rahmonov has held a series of meetings with heads of state from other countries who also arrived in Ashgabat to attend the swearing-up ceremony.  

We will recall that Rahmonov arrived in Ashgabat Tuesday (February 13) evening.  The same day, he met with his Kazakh counterpart, President Nursultan Nazarbayev.  

Abdufattoh Sharipov, a spokesman for the Tajik president, said that in the course of the talks the two had discussed a state and prospects of further expansion of economic cooperation between Tajikistan and Kazakhstan.  The meeting focused on bilateral cooperation in the banking sector and investments. 

During the meeting it was noted that a two-way trade between Tajikistan and Kazakhstan had almost doubled, increasing from $160 million in 2005 to $315 million in 2006.  

The sides attached significance to participation of four Kazakhstan’s banks in investing in economic projects in Tajikistan, according to the spokesman.  Rahmonov and Nazarbayev expressed hope that the next meeting of Tajik-Kazakh commission for economic and trade cooperation and business forum with participation of entrepreneurs from the two countries that are scheduled to be held this year will be key factors to contribute to further development of bilateral relations between Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.  

Rahmonov and Nazarbayev also exchanged views on a number of regional and international issues being of mutual interest.