Tajikistan, Kazakhstan sign declaration on allied relations
DUSHANBE/ASTANA. May 4 (Interfax) - Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and his Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a declaration on allied cooperation between the two countries following talks in Astana, the Tajik leader's press service said on Thursday.
"The decision taken today to add allied cooperation to our strategic partnership will become a factor in the further progressive development of ties between the states in all areas," Rahmon said after the signing ceremony.
Kazakhstan is Tajikistan's second largest trading partner, and the two countries' mutual trade increased by more than 20% in 2022, he said.
"The agreement reached at the highest level earlier to bring bilateral trade to $2 billion in the near future is being implemented systematically. In order to achieve this goal, we have agreed to take coordinated measures to ensure further trade growth and to diversify the range of goods," he said.
As regards economic cooperation, the parties reiterated the need to prepare and implement joint investment projects and programs in different fields of industry, the hydropower sector, agriculture, transport, and tourism, the press service said. The mining and metals sector, the consumer goods and food industry, machine building, and pharmaceuticals were listed among priorities.
Rahmon said that he had invited the Kazakh side to help develop promising oil and gas deposits in Tajikistan. Cooperation in promoting digitalization and artificial intelligence, the banking sector and financial markets was described as mutually beneficial.
Rahmon also said that the Kazakh president and he had discussed the situation in Afghanistan.
"We discussed current security challenges and threats facing the region. I, for my part, would like to note the high level of security cooperation between our countries. In this context, we emphasized the importance of further strengthening coordination between our law enforcement agencies, special services and other relevant institutions," the Tajik president said.
According to the Kazakh president's press service, a number of documents, including a declaration on allied cooperation between the two countries, were signed during Rahmon's state visit to Astana.
The Kazakh Finance Ministry and the Tajik government's Customs Service signed a protocol on sharing tentative data on goods and vehicles transported between the countries.
The documents signed in Astana also include a memorandum of cooperation between the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the auspices of the president of Kazakhstan and the Tajik president's Center for Strategic Studies, a memorandum to establish twin-city relations between Kazakhstan's Turkistan and the city of Khujand in Tajikistan, and a memorandum of mutual understanding between the Kazakh Ministry of Trade and Integration and the Tajik government's Export Agency.
Apart from that, the two countries intend to implement joint roadmaps in tourism and agriculture for 2023-2025. A joint plan for cooperation in the field of industry and innovations for 2023-2024 was signed as well.
The Kazakh and Tajik Foreign Ministries, for their part, signed a program of cooperation for 2023-2025.