Tajik president lists expanding cooperation with Qatar among Dushanbe's foreign policy priorities

DUSHANBE. Oct 3 (Interfax) - Advancing cooperation with Qatar is a priority of Tajikistan's foreign policy, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon said at a meeting with Amir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

The two leaders met in Doha on the sidelines of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue Summit, titled "Sports Diplomacy", Rahmon's press service said.

Energy, industry, agriculture, the banking sector, tourism, transport and communications were named among the promising areas of cooperation between Tajikistan and Qatar.

The parties also reiterated their support for the active work of the joint intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation, the press service said. Furthermore, it is important for Qatar, including the Qatar Fund for Development, to invest in various sectors of the Tajik economy, among them the construction of power generation facilities in Tajikistan.

The creation of joint production enterprises in different industries, including the food sector, will serve the interests of both countries, the press service said, citing the two leaders.

Other topics on the meeting's agenda were programs to train specialists for the services sector and the creation of a foreign language center in Tajikistan, steps to advance bilateral cooperation in culture, science and education and cultural exchanges between Tajikistan and Qatar, it said. The parties also reaffirmed the need to expand ties between their parliaments and intensify the work of the parliamentary friendship group.

In addition, Rahmon and Al Thani exchanged views on regional and global matters of mutual interest, the press service said.