Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday praised the achievements of Emomali Rahmon in strengthening Tajikistan’s statehood and advancing the country’s development during high-level talks held in Beijing.

“My dear friend! Our meeting today evokes very warm feelings in me,” Xi Jinping said during talks with delegations from both sides. “This year marks the 35th anniversary of Tajikistan’s independence. Under your leadership, Tajikistan has achieved remarkable successes in state-building, which brings us sincere joy.”

Xi Jinping described President Emomali Rahmon as a close friend and highly praised his personal role in consolidating the foundations of Tajikistan’s statehood and promoting the country’s progress and prosperity.

“Mr. President, I am ready to work with you to further strengthen the China-Tajikistan community with a shared future for the benefit of the peoples of our two countries,” Xi Jinping emphasized.

The remarks came during the state visit of President Emomali Rahmon to the People’s Republic of China, where the two leaders held high-level bilateral talks on May 12.

During meetings held in both expanded and restricted formats with the participation of official delegations, the two sides discussed a broad range of bilateral and multilateral cooperation issues in an atmosphere of mutual understanding and deep trust.