DUSHANBE, November 12, 2010, Asia-Plus -- Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi yesterday visited the Kazakh Embassy in Dushanbe to express condolences over death of Kazakh Ambassador to Tajikistan Abutalip Akhmetov, according to the Tajik MFA information department.

Zarifi expressed his deepest condolences to relatives and friends of the late Ambassador Akhmetov and recorded his condolences in Book of Condolences Book that is open at the Kazakh Embassy.

Zarifi, in particular, said, “Abutalip Ibizhanovich will remain in our memories as professional of diplomatic service and faithful and frank friend of Tajikistan who made invaluable contribution to strengthening of relations between our countries and peoples.”

Yesterday, Zarifi also sent a telegram of condolences to Kazakhstan''s Secretary of State and Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev.

We will recall that Ambassador Abutalip Akhmetov died of a heart attack in Dushanbe Wednesday evening.

Born in 1949, Abutalip Akhmetov graduated from Moscow State Institute of International Relations in 1977 and took training course at the Diplomatic Academy of the MFA of the Soviet Union in 1990.

Mr. Abutalip Akhmetov had been the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kazakhstan to Tajikistan since May 2008.