OREANDA-NEWS. October 5, 2012. Russian-Tajikistani talks took place in Dushanbe. The expanded-format meeting examined a broad range of bilateral cooperation matters, in particular in trade and economic ties and humanitarian relations.

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PRESIDENT OF TAJIKISTAN EMOMALI RAHMON: Mr President, once more I welcome you and the Russian delegation to Tajikistan. We are always very happy to see you here.

Your visit is particularly symbolic as we mark the 20th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations. It is pleasing to see that over these 20 years Tajikistan and Russia have confirmed in practice their desire to steadily develop our multifaceted and mutually advantageous ties.

Our relations are built on the principle of strategic partnership and are reflected in the quality growth in all key areas of cooperation at the bilateral level and in international and regional organisations. We very much want to keep this process going and we are sure that Russia shares this same desire.

Before setting out my view of the current situation and future opportunities for our cooperation, I would like to ask you to share your thoughts, Mr President, and it is with pleasure that I hereby give you the floor.

PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA VLADIMIR PUTIN: Mr President, colleagues, friends,

First of all, on behalf of the Russian delegation, let me congratulate you on your birthday, Mr President, and wish you all the very best.

EMOMALI RAKHMON: Thank you.

VLADIMIR PUTIN: It is a special honour to have this chance to come to Dushanbe on your birthday. Instead of celebrating, you are working today, and we will have the chance to sign the agreements that we have put a lot of time into discussing and preparing.

We are happy to see how much has been accomplished in Tajikistan over these last years under your leadership. The situation is stable and the economy is growing. Russia is Tajikistan’s main foreign economic partner and biggest trading partner.

We hope very much that this trend will continue, all the more so as the agreements that our colleagues will sign today will do much to strengthen our strategic partnership and create the conditions for developing our trade and economic ties and our humanitarian relations.

I am sure that everything signed today will be implemented and will help to develop our bilateral relations and benefit our peoples.

Thank you very much for the invitation.