DUSHANBE, 16.04.2018 /NIAT “Khovar”/. On the sidelines of the 23rd session of the ECO Council of Foreign Ministers, the Founder of Peace and National Unity – Leader of the Nation, President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon received the Secretary General of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Halil İbrahim Akça.

The Head of State Emomali Rahmon expressed thanks and appreciation to ECO Secretary General Halil İbrahim Akça for the valuable services that he had rendered to the development of Organization during his presidency.

The sides highly appreciated the ECO member nations’ contribution in deepening and expanding of cooperation in the field of economy and social development in the region. It was stressed that Tajikistan pays special attention to the development of cooperation in energy, trade, investment, transportation and communications.

The sides had a useful conversation on the significance of the ‘ECO Vision 2025’ document and the main tasks of Tajikistan’s National Development Strategy for the period up to 2030 that includes the main areas for cooperation — trade, transportation, energy, tourism, productivity and economic growth, social welfare and environmental protection.

The interlocutors also discussed issues related to effective use of Tajikistan’s huge hydropower resources in order to meet the growing energy needs in the region. In the year of “Tourism Development and Folk Crafts” declared in Tajikistan the two sides acknowledged the importance of unrealized tourism potential that would be for the benefit of the ECO member nations.

While addressing issues related to regional cooperation, the two sides acknowledged common efforts at regional trade and economic integration; restoration of peace, stability in our neighboring country and Afghanistan’s involvement in the implementation of regional projects and creation of favorable conditions for its social and economic development.