09.03.2018, Dushanbe city

Esteemed Shavkat Miromonovich,
Dear representatives of the Mass Media,

First of all, I would like to note that we reached historic decisions regarding the complex of the most important bilateral issues of our agenda, as a result of today’s state visit of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, His Excellency Shavkat Miromonovich to our country.

A constructive and thorough discussion on a wide range of issues of Tajik-Uzbek cooperation and prospects for their development took place in the atmosphere of full mutual understanding.

Following the results of negotiations we signed a package of bilateral documents, which includes about thirty agreements that cover most of the key areas of our multifaceted cooperation.

This is the trade-economic and cultural-humanitarian component of our relations, as well as the sphere of defense and security.

Today we have solved almost all the issues that have accumulated over the past twenty years.

I am convinced that the results of the historic visit of His Excellency Shavkat Miromonovich to Tajikistan will give a qualitatively new impulse to the dynamic and harmonious development of the entire complex of our relations on a long-term basis.

In this context, for the great joy of our brotherlynations, I would like to say that we have made extremely important decisions on the abolition of the visa regime for up to thirty days and the gradual resumption of the work of all sixteen border crossing points on the borders between the two countries.

These decisions, which our brotherlynations have been waiting for many years, respond to their interests.

Agreements were reached on joint steps to promptly resume the full-fledged functioning of the railway, road and air routes, as well as to reduce tariffs for transit transportation of goods.

In this regard, I would like to note the importance of the resumption of the work of the railway section of Ghalaba — Amuzang.

Today, with the participation of His Excellency Shavkat Miromonovich we will launch this section in a solemn atmosphere.

This is undoubtedly a great event, since along with the increase in the freight flow between our countries and the expansion of trade and economic ties, it creates the preconditions for improving the socio-economic life in the southern regions of Tajikistan, that’s population exceeds three and a half million people.

Currently, the direct air routes operate between the capitals of our countries and, thanks to the bilateral documents that we signed today, in the near future the air and road connections between other cities will also resume.

These positive changes in the spheres of transport and communications create favorable prerequisites for strengthening the entire complex of our relations.

Today our interstate partnership is successfully developing; contacts on the level of official delegations and various working groups, business circles and cultural figures are becoming regular.

We will continue to take effective measures for mutually beneficial expansion of trade and economic and cultural-humanitarian ties.

It is encouraging to note that the foreign trade turnover between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan has a tendency of steady growth.

Recently, its volume has increased six times.

In the coming years, we intend to increase mutual trade to half a billion US dollars.

Today the Tajik-Uzbek Business Forum will start its work in Dushanbe and an exhibition of Uzbek industrial goods will be opened, which is an important component of the President of Uzbekistan’s visit program to Tajikistan.

We hope that the results of these events will become an additional reliable basis for our effective cooperation in the promising sectors of the economy and create a favorable climate for the further development of trade and investment cooperation between the two countries.

We noted the importance of developing interregional cooperation between the two countries, which was fixed by signing a separate agreement.

We are convinced that the development of ties between the regions of our states will allow us to intensify our trade and economic ties.

We agreed almost all the outstanding issues related to the border.

The signing of the Treaty on certain sections of the State Border has strategic importance and creates the conditions for the transfer of our relations to a new format of partnership.

During the talks, the importance of further deepening cooperation in the cultural and humanitarian sphere was underlined.

We discussed the preservation of the spiritual and cultural heritage of the two brotherly peoples, creating favorable conditions for establishing contacts between cultural, scientific and educational figures.

In this context, we talked regarding the translation of classical and modern literature into the languages of the two states, as well as studying and teaching Uzbek and Tajik languages in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, respectively.

The parties will also make efforts in the future to intensify cooperation in this area.

We held a meaningful conversation on a wide range of regional and international issues, during which we checked our approaches to issues that are actual for Central Asia.

A mutual understanding was reached on the issues of close cooperation in the rational and integrated use of water and energy resources, taking into account the interests of all countries in the region.

We had the common opinion that the existing and under construction hydroelectric facilities will contribute to solving the water and energy problems of the region.

In this context, we sincerely welcome the support of Uzbekistan in the development of hydropower facilities in Tajikistan, including the Rogun HPP.

I would like to take this opportunity to note that I repeatedly from the highest tribunes, including the UN, and in my addresses to the Parliament of the country, stated that Tajikistan did not create problems for its neighbors in terms of water use and is not going to do so in the future. We will never, in any way, leave our neighbors without water.

Since the first days of state independence, Tajikistan has declared the preservation of peace and stability in the region, the comprehensive promotion of mutually beneficial cooperation between the countries of Central Asia the key direction of its foreign policy.

We remain committed to this constructive course and declare our support for the initiatives of the Republic of Uzbekistan to create a new constructive atmosphere of interaction in the region.

In this context, we have reached agreements on strengthening cooperation in the fight against modern challenges and threats.

We have signed agreements on further cooperation in the field of security, as well as in the field of defense.

These documents determine the order of close interaction between law enforcement agencies, defense agencies and special services of the two states in ensuring peace and stability in our countries and in the region as a whole.

In the framework of today’s talks, we exchanged views on the Afghan problem and stressed the similarity of views on the events taking place in this neighboring country.

We welcome the efforts to establish peace and harmony in Afghanistan, and we will continue to provide all possible support to the Afghan people in this process.

The agreements reached in all these areas are detailed in the joint statement of the two presidents, which will be published in the media.

I will only note that, on the whole, we hadcommon opinion that it is necessary to deepen the interaction between our countries, both in bilateral and multilateral formats.

Proceeding from these positive results, we regard today’s talks at the highest level as the beginning of a new historical stage in the Tajik-Uzbek relations of friendship and multifaceted cooperation.

In this regard, I would like to emphasize the important contribution of His Excellency Shavkat Miromonovich to the creation of prerequisites and the formation of the necessary conditions for the transfer of our interaction to a qualitatively new direction of development.

Your initiatives in this direction contribute to improving our relations on all key issues on the agenda of the Tajik-Uzbek relations.

On behalf of the Government and the people of Tajikistan, I express my sincere gratitude for these efforts.

From the first days of taking office, my dear friend and brother Shavkat Miromonovich, as a faithful supporter of strengthening cooperation with his neighbors in the region did everything in his power to create the basis for the consistent and multifaceted development of our relations.

I would also like to note that the positive changes that have occurred in a short period of time in Uzbekistan under your leadership, Shavkat Miromonovich, delights everyone in Tajikistan.

I wish you good health and new success in achieving all your goals, and to the brotherly people of Uzbekistan — peace, welfare and further sustainable prosperity.