13:20

Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev and Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon made statements to the press on May 23rd.

Axar.az reports that first, President Aliyev made a statement.

President Ilham Aliyev's statement:

- Dear Emomali Sharipovich.

Dear friends.

It is a great honor for us to welcome our dear guest, the great friend of Azerbaijan, and brother, President Emomali Sharipovich Rahmon of Tajikistan, with the participation of representative delegations today.

Today, with the participation of representative delegations and during individual meetings, we discussed a wide range of issues related to our mutual activities, and gave concrete instructions to the members of our government regarding the implementation of many economically significant projects in industrial cooperation and humanitarian cooperation.

At the end of the year, Emomali Sharipovich will visit our country again, we will reconsider all issues once again, and we will monitor the implementation of the instructions given. I invited the President of Tajikistan to participate in the climate conference to be held in November. This invitation has been accepted. We are actively preparing for the organization of this international event and await Tajikistan's active participation. I am sure that our Tajik friends will make a significant contribution to the successful conduct of this conference and the achievement of good results.

The will of our peoples, who have historically cooperated, become friends, and built unity together, lies at the heart of our mutual activities. Today, our interstate relations have reached the highest level.

We have just signed the Strategic Partnership Declaration, which reflects the character, spirit, and the will of our peoples. The Declaration covers almost all areas of mutual activity. It emphasizes mutual support and concrete results.

Today, we discussed in detail the issues of economic cooperation. Along with the Strategic Partnership Declaration, a total of 14 documents, including 13 new ones, have been signed, some of them here, and some earlier. This significantly strengthens the contractual and legal basis of our relations. During the visit of the President of Tajikistan, a business forum was held, during which documents and memoranda of mutual agreement were signed, and we were informed about it today. I believe that this will significantly increase the volume of mutual trade.

The Tajikistan Culture Days in Azerbaijan, which are being held these days and will continue for several days, are also an important event in bilateral relations. I think and am sure that it brings joy to Azerbaijani spectators who have the opportunity to get acquainted with the rich culture of the Tajik people.

Today, we also discussed issues related to industrial cooperation in detail, and I am sure that the issues we discussed and the instructions given to the government members will be implemented as soon as possible. The transportation sector has also been our focus. We have discussed logistics issues to make the Central Asia Transport Corridor, including the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor, more attractive for those who send cargo from Tajikistan. I informed my colleague that Azerbaijan has practically implemented all major transportation and logistics projects on its territory and is ready to accept large volumes of cargo in various directions today, from east to west and vice versa, from north to south and vice versa.

Today, we also discussed geopolitical changes, the situation in the world, and the conditions in our regions. We discussed in detail the issues related to strengthening security measures and the development of cooperation in this area, education, culture, and rural development. In other words, the composition of the delegations of our countries also indicates a wide range of issues on the agenda. However, of course, the essence of our relations, the sincerity in our relations, and the personal contacts between the heads of state of Tajikistan and Azerbaijan are important. Last year, I visited Tajikistan twice, both on state visits, and Emomali Sharipovich invited me as an honorary guest to the Summit of Central Asian Heads of State. Also, last year, we hosted the Summit of the UN Special Program for Central Asia - SPECA, and Emomali Sharipovich visited our country. In other words, our regular contacts in Tajikistan and Azerbaijan, - let me also mention meetings held within the framework of international events, - are, of course, the most important factor of our mutual activity, they give a strong impetus to all areas for the concrete enrichment of relations.

Dear Emomali Sharipovich, once again I sincerely welcome you. I thank you for accepting my invitation and coming on a state visit. I wish new victories to the people of brotherly Tajikistan under your leadership. As a person who has visited Tajikistan over the past 20 years, I have witnessed significant changes, and successes in economic and social development, and urbanization. Every time I am in Dushanbe, I see how the city is improving, and how comfortable it is for its residents and guests. Therefore, I once again congratulate you on all your achievements. I wish you and the fraternal Tajik people new successes.

Then President of Tajikistan made a statement.

President Rahmon's statement:

-Thank you, respected Ilham Heydar oglu.

Respected representatives of the media.

Ladies and gentlemen.

First of all, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, my dear friend and brother Ilham Heydar oglu Aliyev, and the brotherly Azerbaijani people for their traditional hospitality, high attention, and sincere reception.

I am very pleased to visit the beautiful city of Baku, which is one of the largest industrial, economic, and scientific-technical centers in the region with ancient history, once again. The unique face of the capital of Azerbaijan is a reflection of the country's dynamic socio-economic development and the continuous improvement of the well-being of the Azerbaijani people.

Our meetings today took place in a constructive and trusting atmosphere, dedicated to the friendship and cooperation between Tajikistan and Azerbaijan. During the talks, we discussed in detail the entire complex of relations between the two countries. We have reached a number of important agreements that significantly strengthen the foundation for the long-term development of these relations.

As noted by Ilham Heydar oglu, today we have taken a historic decision to elevate the level of our interstate relations to the strategic partnership. This decision undoubtedly opens a new page in our cooperation. I would like to emphasize the necessity of conducting regular political dialogue at all levels in the future.

President Ilham Aliyev's personal contribution to the development of bilateral relations between our countries is highly appreciated. During the discussions, special attention was paid to the implementation of agreements reached during the state visit of the President of Azerbaijan to Tajikistan. The development of our cooperation in the economic and trade sphere was highlighted. Both governments have been tasked with ensuring serious oversight of the full implementation of the Action Plan on Economic Cooperation between our countries by 2025. In order to enhance the effectiveness of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic and Trade Cooperation, it was proposed to elevate it from the level of deputy prime ministers to ministers.

Furthermore, an exchange of views was conducted on the development of inter-parliamentary dialogue.

During the discussions, we expressed our readiness to prioritize the participation of Azerbaijani companies and financial institutions in the implementation of projects and programs in Tajikistan. The business forum held during our visit to Baku demonstrated the extensive opportunities for enhancing economic and trade relations between the parties. We hope that its results, along with the bilateral documents signed today, will further boost our cooperation in this direction. It is worth noting that the total value of commercial contracts and agreements signed during the forum exceeded $700 million. Concrete tasks were given to the relevant ministries and agencies to expand the nomenclature of mutually supplied goods between our countries in order to increase bilateral trade turnover.

During the discussions, special attention was paid to the agricultural sector. We welcomed the signing of the Road Map for the development of cooperation in the tourism sector. Direct flights between our capitals were tasked to be restored.

Special attention was given to the transportation and communication sectors. We noted with satisfaction the trend of increasing cargo transportation from the territory of Azerbaijan by state and commercial structures of Tajikistan. We expressed our gratitude to Azerbaijan for offering preferential transit tariffs to Tajikistan's carriers.

The issue of cultural-humanitarian cooperation also occupied an important place in our discussions. In this regard, attention was paid to the development of cooperation in the field of education. We agreed to increase the quotas mutually allocated for studying in universities of both countries. Cultural events held during the visit confirmed the interest and desire of our peoples to familiarize themselves with each other's cultural achievements. We proposed to our friends to hold Azerbaijani Culture Days in Tajikistan next year and to organize a Friendship Festival between the peoples of Tajikistan and Azerbaijan within the framework of this event.

During the discussions, risks and threats related to security were also discussed. I would like to emphasize that the current situation in the international arena remains complex and tense. Taking this opportunity, I would like to emphasize that Tajikistan advocates for the peaceful resolution of all conflicts and disputes. We express our satisfaction with the level and content of effective cooperation in the field of security with Azerbaijan. In this regard, we allocate significant attention to combating terrorism and extremism, manifestations of radicalism, transnational organized crime, including cybercrime, and drug trafficking. We consider it necessary to strengthen the coordination of the activities of specialized law enforcement agencies and other relevant bodies in this area.

We expressed our support for the continued mutual support of our countries' initiatives within the framework of international and regional organizations. We welcome Azerbaijan's decision to host the next session of the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) this year.

I would like to emphasize that we look positively at the prospects for the development of Tajikistan-Azerbaijan relations.

In conclusion, dear Ilham Heydar oglu, I would like to once again express my sincere gratitude to you and the brotherly Azerbaijani people for your warm reception and brotherly hospitality.

I would also like to say that I have invited my dear friend and brother Ilham Heydar oglu Aliyev to visit Tajikistan with great pleasure to continue our constructive dialogue.

Thank you very much. I appreciate your attention.