DUSHANBE: President Asif
Ali Zardari arrived in Tajikistan on Thursday to attend the third
quadrilateral summit betweenTajikistan, Pakistan, Afghanistan and the
Russian Federation.
The President was warmly received by Tajik Minister for Water Resources Rehmat Bobokalonov, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Tajikistan Amjad Sial and other senior officials at Dushanbe International Airport.
Zardari was accompanied by Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Dr Asim Hussain.
In his arrival statement the president said that this important forum provided an opportunity to reflect upon the co-operation between the four countries in the fields of economy, trade, defence, energy, fight against narcotics, combating extremism and terrorism as well as trilateral consultations.
He said that Pakistan was looking forward to an early establishment and development of of air, road and rail links in the region connecting Central Asia to the seaports in Pakistan. This will further enhance people-to-people contacts and tourism, the President added.
He said that the CASA-1000 (Central-Asian and South-Asian) was the most important project in the realm of our regional energy cooperation and Pakistan was committed to its early implementation.
The President said that Pakistan and Tajikistan had excellent relations in areas of trade, economy, defence, education, investment, energy and human resource development and that both countries were facing similar regional challenges as “our region is infested with poverty, unemployment, underdevelopment and lack of economic opportunities and all these challenges have led our region to an abyss where militancy nourishes”.
He said that Pakistan and Tajikistan’s relationship was a natural union of brotherhood, friendship and of mutual respect, between governments, for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“Our governments are determined to provide a better future to our generations and we are looking towards that end,” the President said.
From the airport, President Zardari left for the presidential palace to hold a bilateral meeting with his Tajik counterpart
The President was warmly received by Tajik Minister for Water Resources Rehmat Bobokalonov, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Tajikistan Amjad Sial and other senior officials at Dushanbe International Airport.
Zardari was accompanied by Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Dr Asim Hussain.
In his arrival statement the president said that this important forum provided an opportunity to reflect upon the co-operation between the four countries in the fields of economy, trade, defence, energy, fight against narcotics, combating extremism and terrorism as well as trilateral consultations.
He said that Pakistan was looking forward to an early establishment and development of of air, road and rail links in the region connecting Central Asia to the seaports in Pakistan. This will further enhance people-to-people contacts and tourism, the President added.
He said that the CASA-1000 (Central-Asian and South-Asian) was the most important project in the realm of our regional energy cooperation and Pakistan was committed to its early implementation.
The President said that Pakistan and Tajikistan had excellent relations in areas of trade, economy, defence, education, investment, energy and human resource development and that both countries were facing similar regional challenges as “our region is infested with poverty, unemployment, underdevelopment and lack of economic opportunities and all these challenges have led our region to an abyss where militancy nourishes”.
He said that Pakistan and Tajikistan’s relationship was a natural union of brotherhood, friendship and of mutual respect, between governments, for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“Our governments are determined to provide a better future to our generations and we are looking towards that end,” the President said.
From the airport, President Zardari left for the presidential palace to hold a bilateral meeting with his Tajik counterpart