On October 28, Dushanbe / Vladimir Matveev - BELTA /. Belarus and Tajikistan are seriously committed to expanding bilateral ties. This was stated today during negotiations with the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon in an expanded format by the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, BELTA correspondent reports. "Today's meeting marked a new milestone in the history of Belarusian-Tajik relations. We are seriously committed to expanding our ties," said Alexander Lukashenko. As the President of Belarus noted, despite the geographical distance, the peoples of the two countries have been united by close cooperation and mutual assistance for more than one decade. "Tajikistan is an important partner for us in Central Asia. The current visit and the thorough, interested conversation held with Emomali Rahmon are confirmation of this," said the head of the Belarusian state. According to him, in an era of global political instability and a world financial and economic crisis, both countries are strengthening statehood and confident socio-economic development. The understanding of vital national interests and the persistent desire to defend them in the international arena are immutable principles that bring Belarus and Tajikistan closer together, emphasized Alexander Lukashenko. It is planned that during the negotiations, the parties will discuss a wide range of issues and areas that should determine the prospects for mutually beneficial Belarusian-Tajik cooperation, primarily in the trade and economic sphere. This includes, in particular, the supply of Belarusian heavy-duty and quarry equipment for work at the construction sites of hydropower facilities and the mining industry of Tajikistan, and increasing the export of Belarusian agricultural machinery to develop the agro-industrial sector of Tajikistan. In addition, the participation of Belarusian construction and design companies in the design and construction of major infrastructure projects in Tajikistan, the prospect of exchanging Belarusian experience in modernizing the production complex, exchanging knowledge and achievements in the field of agricultural science, building agricultural complexes and agro-towns, creating transport communications, and issues of humanitarian cooperation are being discussed. -0-

BELTA