Trans-Caspian transport corridor gaining popularity in Europe, Central Asia President Aliyev tells Tajik counterpart / PHOTO

On May 23, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev held an expanded meeting with Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon, who is on a state visit to Azerbaijan, Azertag reports.

Addressing the meeting, President Ilham Aliyev said:

- Dear Emomali Sharipovich.

Dear guests.

I am pleased to welcome you to Azerbaijani soil. I am very glad that you have accepted my invitation and are paying a state visit to Azerbaijan. Our meetings are of a regular nature. We often meet in Tajikistan and in Azerbaijan. I have visited your country many times – last year with a state visit, and I also participated in the Summit of Heads of Central Asian States at your invitation. Also last year, you visited us at the Summit of Central Asian countries and Azerbaijan. So high-level contacts are regular in nature, and today we have continued our consultations and discussions on many important issues of the bilateral agenda, as well as international and regional affairs. It is clear that state visits have a special status, demonstrating the high level of relations between us. Also, one of the important stages in the development of relations is the Declaration on Strategic Partnership, which we will sign today, thus officially raising the level of our relations even further. Nevertheless, if we look at the history and nature of our relations, they have long been of a strategic partnership nature.

We aim to develop active cooperation in all areas. As you may know, a business forum was held in the run-up to your visit. The Days of Culture of Tajikistan in Azerbaijan are currently taking place. All this fills our relations with tangible content. Several economic documents have been signed. Today, within the framework of discussions between members of our delegations, we will go over this agenda in detail in order to add more content to our relations, because if we familiarize ourselves with the statistical figures of the trade turnover, we can’t be pleased with it as yet. I think that what we have already agreed on and what we will discuss today, both you and I in person and members of delegations at a later stage, will contribute to increasing our trade turnover. And, of course, one of the topics we discussed today is cooperation in the transport sector, taking into account the new opportunities of the transport and logistical infrastructure of Tajikistan and Azerbaijan. I think it will be useful to join our efforts in this direction and coordinate our steps more closely because the Trans-Caspian transport corridor is becoming increasingly popular in the European and Central Asian regions. Azerbaijan, as a connecting link and a country located at the junction of Europe and Asia, of course, plays an important role in this issue with its transportation infrastructure.

Our agenda is quite broad. The composition of our delegations alone speaks volumes about the areas we actively cooperate in. I am sure that the results will also be very impressive, and the visit will be useful and enjoyable. Welcome once again!

x x x

President Emomali Rahmon said:

- Thank you very much, Mr. Ilham Heydarovich.

Dear friends.

First of all, I would like to sincerely thank you, dear Ilham Heydarovich, for your high attention and warm hospitality. I am glad that we are continuing the tradition of reciprocal visits at the highest level. I am confident that the results of today's meetings will elevate cooperation between our countries to a new level of development. Azerbaijan is a reliable friend and partner for Tajikistan. Our countries have time-tested relations. We have close positions on topical regional and international issues. Humanitarian ties aimed at bringing the peoples of our countries even closer together are actively developing.

Today, we will make a historic decision that will raise our interstate relations to the level of strategic partnership. This is in line with the spirit of the centuries-old traditions of fraternal friendship between our peoples. These decisions consolidate the successes in promoting our interaction achieved throughout the years of our independence. In this context, I would like to note that the National Leader of the Azerbaijani people, the highly esteemed Heydar Aliyevich Aliyev, was at the origins of this process. I am convinced that the agreements to be reached today meet the fundamental interests of our brotherly peoples and will become a solid foundation for Tajikistani-Azerbaijani relations. Thank you.