Tajik leader pays official visit to Belarus

According to the Tajik president’s official website, foreign minister, presidential adviser for international relations, minister of education, minister of culture, minister of agriculture, Tajik chief prosecutor and a number of other high-ranking Tajik state officials are accompanying Emomali Rahmon on his visit to Belarus.

According to Belarusian news agency BelTA, Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus, Igor Lyashenko, and First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, Andrei Yeudachenka, welcomed Tajik leader on arrival.

Today, Emomali Rahmon is expected to hold talks with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander in the Palace of Independence.

Apart from official events of the visit, the Tajik head of state is also expected to attend the closing ceremony of the 2nd European Games Minsk 2019 that will take place at the Dynamo Stadium in the Belarusian capital on June 30.

Meanwhile, BelTA reported earlier that Alexander Lukashenko talked to Emomali Rahmon over the phone on June 25.  The heads of state reportedly discussed the bilateral agenda and matters concerning the advancement of cooperation in various spheres with a focus on preparations for Emomali Rahmon's visit to Belarus.

According to official statistical data, the bilateral trade of Tajikistan and Belarus last year valued at 37.4 million U.S. dollars.

Over the first four months of this year, the two-way between the two countries has reportedly exceeded 12 million U.S. dollars.

BelTA says representative offices of more than 15 Belarusian companies now operate in Tajikistan, including those of BelAZ, MAZ, MTZ, Amkodor, Gomselmash, and Bobruiskagromash.  An enterprise assembling MTZ tractors operates in Hisor district.  Work is in progress to set up a dairy enterprise in Dushanbe.

Diplomatic relations between Tajikistan and Belarus were established on September 5, 1996 by the exchange of the notes.

The Embassy of Tajikistan has operated in Minsk since 1997 and the Embassy of Belarus has functioned in Dushanbe since 2011.

Belarus and Tajikistan support an active political dialogue and interact constructively at international venues.

The two countries constructively cooperate in a regional format, in the framework of the CIS, SCO, and CSTO, as well as globally, within the framework of the UN and the OSCE.

The parties are exploring such promising areas of cooperation as expanding interaction in the food-manufacturing industry and the development of industrial cooperative ties.

Trade and economic relations are focused on the need of organizing direct supply of raw materials, products and consumer goods, as well as the development of relations between the regional and economic entities of the two countries.  Tajikistan’s imports from Belarus include heavy construction and mining equipment, textiles and furniture, electrical equipment and appliances, wood and its products, breeding stock, inorganic chemicals, pharmaceuticals.  The main items of Tajikistan’s exports to Belarus include cotton, wool, dry fruits, aluminum, oil seeds and fruits.