Tajikstan and Sri Lanka to improve bilateral relations

Tajikistan and Sri Lanka inked a four Memorandums of Understanding, as part of the State visit by Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon, covering three key areas while recognising importance in political, economic, trade and investment cooperation, and cultural cooperation between the two countries.

Rahmon, who was visiting at the invitation of President Maithripala Sirisena, during the visit, held official meetings with President Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Speaker Karu Jayasuriya in Colombo. Sirisena is likely to visit Tajikstan early next year the Foreign Ministry said.

During the wide ranging official discussions, the President of Tajikistan and the President of Sri Lanka reaffirmed their commitment to actively advance a bilateral agenda in political, economic, social and cultural areas. In this regard, they noted with satisfaction the proposed programs for expanding cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, education, and tourism among others.

During the visit from 12 to 14 December, a MoU on Political Consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan, was signed, to ensure cooperation on bilateral political partnerships and to provide for structured and regular interaction between the two countries. The leaders also underlined the need to establish parliamentary friendship groups in the national parliaments of Sri Lanka and Tajikistan. 

Further, an Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Tajikistan to Sri Lanka and an Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Sri Lanka to Tajikistan were also appointed as a means of strengthening diplomatic ties.

The two leaders agreed to optimise the new and emerging investment and trade opportunities in each other’s countries’ in a number of specific areas and emphasised the need to establish a ministerial level Joint Economic Commission and the Tajik- Sri Lanka Business Council. Further, an MoU was also signed between the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Tajikistan. Further, an Aide Memoire was initialled between the Sri Lankan Ministry of Development Strategies and International Trade and the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Tajikistan on the draft text of an Agreement on Mutual Cooperation. Further, two more MoUs were also signed on cooperation in the field of physical training and sport, and tourism while a student exchange program has also been proposed.