EAM, Tajik FM hold productive talks on boosting bilateral cooperation
New Delhi, Dec 18: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday held productive talks with visiting Tajikistan Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin here, with both exchanging views on expanding bilateral cooperation in energy, connectivity, trade, security and capacity building.
In a tweet, the EAM posted:
“Productive discussions with my friend, Tajik FM Sirojiddin Muhriddin. “Exchanged views on expanding our bilateral cooperation in energy, connectivity, trade, security and capacity building. “Valued his insights on regional developments.”
The Foreign Minister of Tajikistan is visiting India from December 18-20 at the invite of Jai Shankar. The Tajik FM is also to meet other dignitaries during the visit. Afghanistan is expected to have figured in the talks as Tajikistan shares an over 1,300 km border with that country, and the Tajik leadership has been vocal in its disapproval of the Taliban takeover and demanded a more inclusive government, with representatives from the country’s large Tajik population.
India and Tajikistan have seen an active exchange of visits this year. EAM Jaishankar was there for a bilateral visit and for the Heart of Asia conference in March, the SCO FM’s meeting in June and the SCO heads of Council meeting in September NSA Doval and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited Tajikistan in June for SCO meetings, while the Tajik security chief was in India in February and again in November for the NSA level meeting on Afghanistan.
“The visit of the Tajikistan Foreign Minister will sustain the high level of dialogue between the two sides and the strategic partnership between the two countries,” the MEA said.
