Islamabad, Dec 14 (PTI) Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday that there was a vast scope for cooperation between Pakistan and Tajikistan in the areas of economy and energy, and the two countries need to work very closely to enhance their bilateral trade.
Addressing a press conference alongside Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, who was in Islamabad on a two-day visit, Sharif said Pakistan will work closely with Tajikistan for early completion of the Casa-1000 power project and also for setting up rail, road and energy connectivity with the Central Asian countries.
“We need to work very closely with each other to strengthen our economic cooperation and enhance our bilateral trade in the fields of industry, agriculture, joint ventures and energy cooperation,” Sharif said after meeting the Tajik leader.
Terming Tajikistan as an important country in Central Asia which served as a “gateway” to the region, he hoped that the visit of Rahmon would result in a “new era of cooperation and development” with Pakistan.
The two leaders earlier held a one-on-one meeting at the Prime Minister’s House, which Sharif termed as “very productive and useful”. He said the focus of their talks was on the strengthening of bilateral ties and the promotion of investment, trade and cultural exchanges.
President Rahmon arrived in Pakistan for a two-day official visit and was received by Minister for Commerce Naveed Qamar on Wednesday. He was accorded a red-carpet welcome upon his arrival at the Prime Minister’s House, where he was received by the premier.
He was presented with a guard of honour. Later, he also planted a sapling in the lawns of the Prime Minister’s House.
The Tajik president’s visit to Pakistan is expected to impart a renewed impetus to deepening cooperation between the two countries.
The Foreign Office in a statement before his arrival said that Pakistan and Tajikistan ties were marked by mutual respect and exceptional cordiality.
“The two countries have a commonality of views on various regional and international issues,” it said. PTI SH MRJ
Source : The Print
