Rahmon calls China Tajikistan's main Asian partner, pledges to develop relations with West
DUSHANBE. April 23 (Interfax) - Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, who described Russia as the main strategic partner of Tajikistan earlier on Wednesday, has mentioned relations with China as a priority of the national foreign policy in Asia and expressed the interest in a partnership with Washington and Brussels as actors possessing "a huge influence on contemporary politics and the economy."
"Tajikistan has a great neighbor and partner in the east: we regard the development and strengthening of fruitful multifaceted cooperation with the People's Republic of China as a keynote task of our foreign policy in Asia," Rahmon said in an annual state-of-the-nation address presented at the parliament.
He said he was satisfied with the level of relations between Tajikistan and China, the third largest trade partner and investor in Tajikistan after Russia and Kazakhstan.
Rahmon did not forget to mention the development of relations with the West either.
"Tajikistan is interested in bolstering a multifaceted partnership with the United States and European Union member countries which have a huge influence on contemporary politics and the economy," the Tajik leader said.
Dushanbe deems the continuation of collaboration with Washington and Brussels as "an important task of the Tajik foreign policy."
"We intend to carry on the productive interaction with these countries in the suppression of terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking and transnational organized crime," Rahmon stressed.
