Tajik president to visit Pakistan on Wednesday

Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon will visit Pakistan on Wednesday at the invitation of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.

The Foreign Office (FO) in a statement issued on Tuesday said the two sides will exchange views on further strengthening bilateral cooperation in a wide range of areas as well as sign a number of bilateral agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs).

"President Rahmon's visit to Pakistan is expected to impart a renewed impetus to deepening cooperation between the two countries in diverse fields and further strengthen the growing geo-economic partnership," the FO said.

It added that Pakistan and Tajikistan are brotherly countries linked through longstanding historical, cultural and religious bonds and the ties are marked by "mutual respect and exceptional cordiality".

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"Tajikistan is the closest neighbour of Pakistan in Central Asia separated only by the narrow Wakhan Corridor. This proximity makes Tajikistan an important partner of Pakistan in Central Asia," FO said.

Earlier this month, sources told Business Recorder that Pakistan will offer access to Tajikistan to Gwadar and Karachi ports.

According to sources, PM Shehbaz has setup a committee to review all current agreements and MoUs with Tajikistan so as to finalise the prime minister’s briefing papers and talking points.

Last month, PM Shehbaz met Rahmon in Sharm El Sheikh on the sidelines of the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP-27).

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During conversation, the issues of cooperation between Tajikistan and Pakistan at the bilateral level and within the framework of the world’s most influential organisations, including the United Nations, were discussed.

Back in October, the PM also met Rahmon in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana, where he reiterated Pakistan’s readiness to provide access to Tajikistan to Gwadar and Karachi ports.