President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has hosted an official reception in honor of President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomalii Rahmon who is paying an official visit to Azerbaijan.

Noting that discussions on bilateral relations and regional matters were held with the President of Tajikistan, President Ilham Aliyev said that important documents covering many areas were signed during the visit. “Tajikistan and Azerbaijan as independent countries are successfully building their own future,” the head of state said, adding that both countries had covered the road of development and progress in 20 years. Noting that the relations between the two peoples have further strengthened over the years, which has given an impetus to the development of bilateral relations, President Ilham Aliyev said:

- Today we conducted a comprehensive discussion to strengthen our economic ties and gave appropriate orders. There are good prospects, and we see that they are quite realistic. I am sure that the instructions given to appropriate bodies will yield good results and enable us to increase our trade a few times. The projects covering energy, industry, investment, etc. will bring our countries closer together and strengthen regional ties. As to regional issues and regional cooperation, I must say that Tajikistan plays an important part in promoting peace, security and regional cooperation in Central Asia, while Azerbaijan does so in the Caspian region and the Caucasus. We also discussed transport issues. I am confident that the transport initiatives being implemented in the region will enable our countries to realize their economic potential in full.

President Ilham Aliyev said that the talks have confirmed that Tajikistan and Azerbaijan shared positions on many issues of regional and global politics. “We actively support each other in international organizations, always vote for each other,” the President said, citing as an example Tajikistan’s support during Azerbaijan’s election as a member of the UN Security Council. President Aliyev stressed that the visit was an indicator of good relations between the two countries and peoples.

Х Х Х

Президент Таджикистана сказал:

President of Tajikistan Emomalii Rahmon expressed his gratitude for the hospitality. Noting that a very useful and constructive exchange of views on many important aspects of bilateral relations was held during the visit, Emomalii Rahmon said that areas and ways of developing, strengthening and expanding the mutually beneficial cooperation between Tajikistan and Azerbaijan were specified in the light of the experience gained since the signing in 2007 of the Fundamental Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation and two dozen other instruments.

The President of Tajikistan said:

- Today, Azerbaijan holds one of the most important places in Tajikistan’s foreign political strategy. We are interested in further strengthening the Tajik-Azerbaijani cooperation and diversifying the spheres and directions of mutually beneficial development. The existing legal framework, the spirit of mutual trust and mutual sympathy between the two countries and their leaders have created favorable conditions for the implementation of these plans and aspirations. The agreements reached during this visit will enable us to interact more actively and substantively and be optimistic about the future of the Tajik-Azerbaijani cooperation and partnership. To do this, we just need to exert maximum effort.

President Emomalii Rahmon expressed the wish for the cooperation between the two countries to reach an even higher level – the level of long-term close partnership.