Azerbaijan-Tajikistan ties mulled
By Aynur Jafarova
Prospects of Azerbaijan-Tajikistan relations were discussed in Baku on April 3 as Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Aslov was visiting the country.
President Ilham Aliyev received Aslov on the same day. President Aliyev praised Azerbaijani-Tajik relations, saying they were developing in all areas.
The Head of State recalled Tajik President Emomali Rahmon's visit to Azerbaijan, and stressed its importance in terms of discussing ways of developing the ties between the two countries.
President Aliyev expressed confidence that Azerbaijan-Tajikistan relations would continue developing and the Tajik FM's visit would contribute to strengthening cooperation between the two countries.
Tajik FM, in turn, extended the Tajik president's greetings and best regards to President Aliyev.
He handed to the Azerbaijani president Rahmon's letter inviting him to pay an official visit to Tajikistan.
The parties pointed to the existence of a good legal framework for cooperation between the two countries, and said there were ample opportunities to expand the bilateral cooperation in a variety of fields, particularly economy, trade, industry and investment making.
As part of the visit the Tajik FM was received by his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov.
During the meeting Aslov and Mammadyarov signed a program of cooperation between the Foreign Ministries of the two countries for 2014-2015.
The parties expressed satisfaction with the current level of political relations between the two countries, as well as the dynamic development of this cooperation.
Mammadyarov thanked the Tajik side for its demonstrated position on settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The Tajik FM highlighted Azerbaijan's leading position in the region and said that the development of the country, especially Baku, made a positive impression on him.
The parties exchanged views on the development of cooperation in the sphere of policy, economy, mining industry, investments, transport, education, cooperation issues within international organizations, the importance of augmenting efforts to expand trade ties in compliance with the two countries' potential.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on May 29, 1992. Trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Tajikistan increased by 2.8 times to $44 million in 2012.