Opinions & Interviews

DUSHANBE, 15 May (BelTA) - Belarus welcomes Tajikistan’s achievements and is ready to develop cooperation, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said during the talks with Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon, BelTA has learned.

“I would like to thank you for the invitation to come to visit this beautiful city, this hardworking country, beautiful people. We are following very closely the development of Tajikistan. I am particularly pleased with the pace at which the country has been developing. I am always happy to note that Tajikistan outperforms the People’s Republic of China in terms of pace of development. This is great. We see how the capital city has been changing. Having arrived at night, I noticed this. Today, once again, I made sure that you are on the right track. And, believe me, we are very happy for you,” the head of state said.

“I would like to see Tajikistan join the most developed and advanced countries as this ancient great nation deserves it. You have done a lot for this. I am here to help our ties grow stronger,” Alexander Lukashenko said.

The president welcomed the successful implementation of the plan to hold a business forum in Dushanbe with the participation of not only the business communities of Belarus and Tajikistan but also representatives of other countries in the region. “We will encourage Tajikistan's neighbors and show our capabilities. Together with you we will continue to advance to other countries by developing trade and economic relations,” he noted.

For his part, Emomali Rahmon stressed that Belarus is one of Tajikistan’s key partners. “We attach great attention to your official visit. I am confident that the visit will give a new impetus to our close friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation,” the president of Tajikistan said.