Tajikistan expecting development of economic relations with Russia

DUSHANBE. Feb 17 (Interfax) - Tajikistan is optimistic about a visit of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin due in early March, Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin said at a press conference in Dushanbe.

"We are expecting this visit to be very fruitful, both sides are expecting the visit to address very important issues, primarily economic matters and trade," Muhriddin said.

The representative Russian delegation is due to pay the visit on March 2-3, he said.

Speaking of possible problems in bilateral cooperation, Muhriddin said that interstate relations "always have outstanding problems, which, however, are resolved by interstate mechanisms."

"Our countries are strategic partners. The Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Relations and Trade co-chaired by the Tajik prime minister holds regular meetings. In fact, Tajikistan and Russia do not have difficult problems on which we need to focus today," Muhriddin said.

The provision of security is high on the broad agenda of Tajik-Russian relations, he said.

"Military-technical cooperation between our countries is not limited to the implementation of a program of modernization of the Tajik Armed Forces. This area also includes the training of officers and joint operative and combat training events," Sirojiddin said.