Jaishankar calls on Tajikistan Speaker; discusses parliamentary support for Indo-Tajik cooperation

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on March 31 met Tajikistan Speaker Zokirzoda Mahmadtohir Zoir and appreciated the robust parliamentary support for Indo-Tajik cooperation.

Also learn: India supports Afghan-Taliban talks: Jaishankar

Mr. Jaishankar, who’s in Tajikistan’s capital Dushanbe, attended the ninth Heart of Asia Ministerial Conference on Afghanistan on March 30.

Earlier within the day, the Minister paid his respects on the monument of the founding father of the primary Tajik state.

“At Dusti Square in Dushanbe. Paying respects at the monument of Ismoili Somoni, founder of the first Tajik state,” Mr. Jaishankar mentioned in a tweet.

After visiting the Dusti Square, he referred to as on the Speaker.

“Glad to meet Speaker Zokirzoda Mahmadtohir Zoir of Tajikistan. Appreciated the strong parliamentary support for Indo-Tajik cooperation,” Mr. Jaishankar mentioned on Twitter.

On March 30, the Minister referred to as on Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon and mentioned increasing bilateral financial and growth cooperation.

Mr. Jaishankar additionally conveyed the greetings of President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to President Rahmon.

“Thank President @EmomaliRahmon of Tajikistan for receiving me. Conveyed the greetings of President Kovind & PM Modi. Discussed expanding our bilateral economic and development cooperation. Appreciated his assessment of the Afghan situation,” he tweeted.

Talking to reporters, Mr. Jaishankar mentioned he mentioned with President Rahmon bilateral cooperation and in addition the scenario in Afghanistan.

“We discussed how to expand our economic, trade and investment cooperation. How to expand more in terms of capacity building, how to strengthen our political cooperation and how to work more closely on Afghanistan,” he mentioned.

He additionally expressed India’s robust solidarity with Tajikistan within the struggle towards COVID-19.

Later, Mr. Jaishankar met Tajikistan’s Defence Minister Colonel General Sherali Mirzo and mentioned methods to additional strengthen defence and safety cooperation.

“Productive discussions with Defence Minister Colonel General Sherali Mirzo of Tajikistan. Focused on further strengthening our defence & security cooperation,” Mr. Jaishankar tweeted.

Tajikistan shares a 1,400-km-long porus border with Afghanistan and has immense geo-strategic significance for India which has been offering army help to the important thing Central Asian nation as a part of counter-terrorism cooperation.

India has additionally developed the Ayni airbase close to the Tajik capital Dushanbe.