The President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Leader of the Nation Emomali Rahmon, held a bilateral meeting with the Chairman of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping within the framework of the Second Summit in the format "Central Asia – China", held in Astana. This was reported by the press service of the head of state.
During the talks, the parties discussed a wide range of issues related to the current state and prospects of bilateral cooperation. Particular attention was paid to the implementation of the agreements reached during the state visit of the PRC Chairman to Tajikistan in 2023.
Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, welcoming the Chinese leader, emphasized the importance of Xi Jinping's visit to Dushanbe and noted that it "opened new horizons for a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries." According to him, the level of interaction between Tajikistan and China today is a model of reliable interstate cooperation.
The PRC Chairman, in turn, expressed satisfaction with the results of his visit to Tajikistan, emphasizing that the implementation of the agreements reached within its framework will bring tangible benefits to both parties. Xi Jinping highly appreciated Tajikistan's international initiatives in the field of sustainable water use and combating climate change, and congratulated Emomali Rahmon on the successful holding of the first International Conference on the Preservation of Glaciers.
As the Chinese leader noted, Beijing will continue to provide comprehensive support to strengthening the independence and sustainable development of Tajikistan.
The talks also focused on expanding trade, economic, investment and industrial cooperation. The leaders of the states noted the need to increase joint efforts in the areas of energy, transport and logistics, communications and agriculture.
Emphasizing the stable dynamics of trade turnover between the countries, the parties reported that China's share in Tajikistan's foreign trade turnover exceeds 20%. In this context, interest was expressed in intensifying cooperation in the agricultural sector using Chinese innovative technologies.
According to the Tajik side, there are currently more than 700 enterprises with Chinese capital operating in the country. In this regard, the parties recognized the urgent task of creating technological and industrial parks, joint research and development IT centers, as well as expanding production capacities, including in the field of electric vehicle manufacturing, solar energy, pharmaceuticals and chemical industry.
The parties named the creation of a joint Tajik-Chinese leasing company as one of the promising areas.
In addition, issues of cooperation in the humanitarian sphere, including education, healthcare and culture, were touched upon. A decision was made to launch direct flights between Dushanbe and Beijing. The Tajik side also welcomed the holding of Chinese Culture Days in Tajikistan this year.
Joint work within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Central Asia-China format was highly appreciated. Special attention was paid to issues of regional security and stability.
Following the negotiations, a number of bilateral documents were signed, including:
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Agreement on cooperation in the field of intellectual property;
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Trade and economic cooperation program until 2030;
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Two memorandums on the establishment of a mechanism for strategic dialogue between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan and China;
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Memorandum of Cooperation in the Field of Artificial Intelligence between the Agency for Innovation and Technology under the President of Tajikistan and the National Development and Reform Commission of the People's Republic of China;
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Memorandum of Cooperation between the Narodnaya Gazeta publication and the China Media Corporation;
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Agreement on the establishment of sister city relations between the Sughd region of Tajikistan and the Shaanxi province of China.
The meeting took place in a warm and constructive atmosphere. The parties expressed their readiness to further strengthen friendly ties and comprehensive strategic partnership.