DUSHANBE, 13.06.2019. (NIAT Khovar) – The Founder of Peace and National Unity, Leader of the Nation, President of the Republic of  Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon met with the President of the Socialist Democratic Republic of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena on June 13 in the Palace of the Nation in Dushanbe.

The meeting was focused on the results of the first high-level talks between the two countries held in 2017, as well as on the issues related to bilateral cooperation in various fields.

President Emomali Rahmon welcomed the distinguished guest in the hospitable Tajik land and stressed that as part of the country’s foreign policy, Tajikistan pays constant and close attention to strengthening friendly relations with the countries of the developing region of South Asia, including Sri Lanka.

The parties discussed a wide range of issues of cooperation in the field of hydropower, textile industry, pharmaceuticals, wool and leather processing, creation of joint ventures for the extraction of precious and semiprecious stones, the development of large transport infrastructure projects, and tourism development.

It was emphasized that for the development and expansion of cooperation in mutually beneficial areas, including politics, economics and trade, the most active assistance could be provided by the revitalization of the Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group of Tajikistan and Sri Lanka, Tajikistan’s access to sea ports and the use of transit corridors.

The parties named the creation of a Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Trade, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, as well as the signing of a draft agreement on cooperation in the field of trade and economy as a timely step towards achieving mutually beneficial goals.

The parties also discussed issues relating to combating threats and dangers within bilateral and multilateral regional and international organizations, as well as strengthening cooperation in the fight against terrorism, extremism, organized transnational crime and illicit drug trafficking.