TEHRAN – Tajikistan's capital Dushanbe will host the 16th meeting of Iran-Tajikistan Joint Economic Committee on December 27 and 28, an official with Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) announced.

Akbar Godari, the director-general of TPO’s Central Asia, Caucasus and Russia Office, said that the documents of agreements to be reached in the meeting will be signed by Iranian Energy Minister Ali-Akbar Mehrabian and Tajikistan Energy and Water Resources Minister Daler Juma who are the chairmen of the two countries’ Joint Economic Committee.

In a meeting between Iranian Vice President and Head of the Planning and Budget Organization (PBO) Davoud Manzour and Tajikistan’s Minister of Finance Fayziddin Qahhorzoda on December 8, the two sides discussed ways of boosting economic and trade ties between the two countries.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of the eighth meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian and Pacific Center for the Development of Disaster Information Management (APDIM) which was held in the Tajik capital Dushanbe in the same day.

In this meeting, Manzour referred to the upward trend of economic relations between the two countries and underlined the important role of powerful Iranian companies active in various sectors including mining, metal, agriculture, information technology, and knowledge-based industries in the development of cooperation between the two countries.

He noted that President Ebrahim Raisi believes that Tajikistan's progress and security is Iran's progress and security, emphasizing the necessity of mutual use of the capacities of the two friendly and brotherly countries for the development of relations in all areas.

Qahhorzoda for his part expressed his satisfaction with the development of relations between the two countries and called for an increase in the role of Iranian companies in the implementation of infrastructure projects in Tajikistan, including the construction of dams and hydroelectric power plants.

Iranian Energy Minister Ali-Akbar Mehrabian has said the trade between Iran and Tajikistan has increased by 10 times over the past two years.

According to Mehrabian, the value of trade between the two countries which was $23 million in the Iranian calendar year 1399 (2020-2021) reached $280 million in the previous Iranian calendar year (ended on March 20, 2023).

The trade between the two countries also reached $150 million in the first six months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-September 22) and it is expected to exceed $300 million by the end of the year (late March 2024).

“During the previous visit of President Raisi to Tajikistan, the two countries had set a $500 million target for the trade between the two sides and now considering the current trend of relations, a much higher goal can be set,” Mehrabian said.

Iran and Tajikistan on November 8 signed a joint statement and 18 cooperation documents and memorandums of understanding (MOUs) to deepen bilateral strategic relations.

The joint statement was signed between President Raisi and his Tajik counterpart Emomali Rahmon in Tajikistan's capital Dushanbe.

The documents and MOUs were inked by the Iranian and Tajik ministers in the presence of the two presidents.

As reported, the documents and MOUs pertained to a roadmap for the long-term bilateral trade and economic cooperation till 2030, mutual visa-free access, anti-drug trafficking operations, transportation, crisis management and the establishment of joint free economic zones, as well as inter-city cooperation in various fields.

During a meeting earlier in the day, Raisi said Iran and Tajikistan could increase their annual trade transactions to $500 million in the first step.

Raisi stressed that historical, religious, and cultural commonalities shared by the two countries provide a favorable ground for enhancing bilateral relations in all aspects.

The Tajik president, for his part, highlighted the necessity to develop bilateral ties, particularly in mining, health, science and technology, and agriculture sectors

Heading a high-ranking delegation, Raisi arrived in Dushanbe on November 8. During the day, he also attended a meeting of the two countries' traders and businessmen.

MA