Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko and Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon released a joint statement after negotiations in Dushanbe, BelTA has learned.

The document reads that the negotiations had been held in a traditionally friendly, trustful, and productive atmosphere. The sides confirmed their readiness to bolster the political dialogue. Ways to further advance Belarusian-Tajik relations and interaction on the most important items on the international agenda were sketched out.

The joint statement pays a lot of attention to trade and economic cooperation. The presidents underscored the importance of working together in this sphere and expressed their desire to expand this kind of cooperation taking into account interests of the sides. The mutual interest was expressed in increasing the volume of bilateral trade, in advancing long-term forms of economic cooperation, in deepening investment cooperation between Belarus and Tajikistan.

The sides also agreed to encourage investments into the establishment of joint ventures, continue improving conditions for the operation of Belarusian and Tajik investors, take practical measures to implement projects in mining industry, civil engineering industry, light and food industries, in agribusiness cooperation and logistics. The sides expressed a mutual interest in expanding cooperation between the regions as an effective way to bolster relations, in enabling the necessary conditions for developing direct ties between commercial entities.

The interest in further advancing interaction in the spheres of education, science and technology, culture and art, healthcare, sport and tourism was also confirmed.

The joint statement also mentioned interaction at international platforms. It underscored the mutual desire to help bolster peace, security, and stability on the regional scale and the international one. The determination to step up cooperation in the fight against terrorism, extremism, drugs trafficking, and illegal arms trade was mentioned.