Press-Briefing in the Embassy of Tajikistan
Islamabad: The ambassador of Tajikistan to Pakistan, Mr. Zubaydullo Zubaydov, called on Minister of State for Defence, Arbab Muhammad Zahir, and discussed with him matters of mutual interests. Both sides exchanged views on the existing level of cooperation and underlined the need for further promoting and enhancing bilateral cooperation in the areas of trade, economic and particularly defence. Talking to the ambassador, the Minister said that Pakistan attached great importance to its ties with Tajikistan as the two countries had common cultural heritage and religion, besides having commonality of perceptions on regional and international issues.
The ambassador told the Minister that his country’s leadership was keen to promote economic, trade and defence cooperation with Pakistan. He said that both countries needed to explore avenues of cooperation as tremendous potentials existed between the two countries for enhancing and deepening bilateral cooperation in the areas of common interests. He also requested for commencement of direct flight from Islamabad to Dushanbe, saying it would bring the people of the two countries further closer. The meeting also agreed to increase cooperation in the area of training.
ISLAMABAD (February 05 2010): Ambassador of Tajikistan, Zubaydullo N. Zubaydov on Thursday announced that direct flights from Islamabad to Dushanbe will start this year. In a press briefing here he said that the agreement for launching direct flights between Dushanbe and Islamabad would be effective during 2010.
He said that the document has to be endorsed by the President and after that it will be signed between the concerned Ministries of the two countries. The process will be completed within weeks and we are hopeful that the flights will start by March this year.
"Tourism will be promoted after direct flight between the two countries and improvement of internal situation in Afghanistan as a transit country for Pakistan and Tajikistan", he maintained. He further said that in the field of economy and trade, the total volume of trade in 2009 was six times more than in 2008.
"However, it does not fully reflect joint potential of the two countries", he added. To a question, he said that Tajikistan has great hydroelectric generation potential with surplus power and offered to export more power to Pakistan. The Ambassador said that in 2009 Tajikistan wasted 2000 MW electricity which could have been provided to Pakistan. He said that Tajikistan is making all out efforts to start the Central Asia South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Project (CASA 1000) and is trying to convince the Afghan government.
Sharing the details of the project he said the project embraces setting up a high-voltage power transmission line connecting the four countries Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Through this line electricity will be transmitted from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to Afghanistan and Pakistan. The length of this line is 750km from the border of Tajikistan to Pakistan. There will be three electricity-transforming stations - in Sangtuda of Tajikistan, in Kabul and in Peshawar. Establishing this power transmission line, supply of more electricity would be possible in summer time. The needed fund (credits and grants) for constructing this project will be provided by the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and Islamic Development Bank. The project will cost around $700 million.
"Realisation all of these small projects will open the road for the immediate construction of High Voltage Power Transmission Lines and accelerate the transmission of electricity from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to Afghanistan and Pakistan", the ambassador maintained. The Ambassador announced that they are also planning to organise a business forum in Dushanbe in March 2010 with the participation of business delegation from Pakistan.
He said that after 3 years interval, the Session of the Inter Governmental Joint Commission was held, in the course of which the heads of the concerned authorities from both the governments had discussed in detail the process of the implementation of agreements signed before, their prospects, which related to the supply of energy from RT to IRP and construction of communication routes between two countries via Wakhan Corridor in Chitral district.
During the visit of the first Deputy Minister of Education of the Republic of Tajikistan to Islamabad, both sides agreed to continue practice of training Pakistani students in Tajikistan and the Tajik students in Pakistan, as well as expanding contacts in education sector. He said that the visit of the delegation of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan headed by the President Asif Ali Zardari to the Republic of Tajikistan last year in July discussed, inter alia, the hydro energy, education, communication, transport, trade, economy and industry and a number of agreements were signed.
"We also made efforts in developing of our historical relations in the fields of culture and education. In this regard, embassy organized a seminar on study of heritage of Imam Azam Abu Hanifa, where the religious scholars, researchers and heads of some Universities of Pakistan participated", he maintained.
An International Symposium on 1310th Anniversary of Imam Azam Abu Hanifa was arranged in the capital of the Republic of Tajikistan, Dushanbe, where guests from 50 countries took part, including 25 members from Pakistan. Four Pakistani citizens, who were in Tajikistan prison, on drugs charges, were released by the law authorities of Tajikistan with the efforts of the Embassy.
About official and working visits the Defence Minister of the Republic of Tajikistan said productive negotiations were held and the Memorandum of Understanding was signed. In this view, Pakistani side is committed to receive Tajik military officials for short-term training courses at some Pakistani military institutions.
During the visit of Chairman, National Security, Tajikistan there were some fruitful meetings and constructive discussions on joint fighting against extremism and other security challenges. Education promotion is developing through Diplomatic Academy of Pakistan, NUML, the International Islamic University of Islamabad and also available through some military institutions. Republic of Tajikistan is looking forward for the visit of the delegation of the Interior Ministry to Dushanbe for co-ordination our joint actions of fight against terror, extremism and other security challenges.
The ambassador said that he would like to acknowledge that at the London Conference held on January 28, 2010 on providing stability and security in Afghanistan, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan announced that Tajik side has offered construction of railway and gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan and Tajikistan, as well as building of power transmission lines from Turkmenistan to North Afghanistan and Tajikistan, building Dashti Joom Hydropower Dam at the Tajik-Afghan border. "It will help the normalization of the situation and restoration of the economic life in Afghanistan", he added.