DUSHANBE, 17.07.2019. (NIAT Khovar) – The Prime Minister of Tajikistan Qohir Rasulzoda and Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon held the Tajikistan-Korea Prime Ministers’ Meeting in Dushanbe on July 16. The talks, which began in a restricted format and then continued with the participation of the two countries’ delegations, covered the current state and prospect of Tajikistan – Korean economic cooperation.

Since the beginning of the establishment of diplomatic relations, Korea has invested $54 million in the Tajik economy through direct investments. In the first five months of the current year, trade turnover has increased, reaching $13 million. In 2018, trade between the countries had increased by 1.7 percent over 2017.

Despite the indicator growths, the existing opportunities and resources have not yet been effectively utilized, and for this reason the officials noted the necessity of intensifying the work of the relevant institutions which can facilitate toward this end. Nak-yeon’s first official visit to Tajikistan will serve as a serious impetus to the development and expansion of Tajik-Korean intergovernmental relations.

Rasulzoda invited Korean investors to pursue joint ventures in Tajikistan’s free economic zones and said that Tajikistan is ready to increase its supply of environmentally healthy fruits and vegetables to the Korean market.

Both sides stressed their willingness to further expand cooperation in the socio-economic spheres, including tourism, roads, transportation, culture, science, education, water and ecology.

Following the meeting, an intergovernmental agreement to provide a grant to Tajikistan and a memorandum of understanding were signed between the Embassy of Korea in Tajikistan and the National Library of Tajikistan.