ISLAMABAD: Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon was accorded a red carpet welcome when he arrived Wednesday at the start of his two-day visit to Pakistan.
Prime Minister Imran Khan received the Tajik president on his arrival at the PM House. A contingent of armed forces presented a salute to the visiting dignitary. President Rahmon reviewed the guard of honor, presented by a contingent of the three services of the armed forces.
Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Rahmon introduced their delegations to each other. President Emomali Rahmon also planted a sapling at the lawns of PM House. Later the two leaders along with their delegations went into for talks.
Earlier, Federal Minister Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar received the Tajik president as he alighted from his special aircraft, here at the Nur Khan airbase. Cannons boomed for a 21-gun salute in honour of the visiting dignitary, besides a salute presented by the static guard.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi welcomed President Emomali Rahmon in the capital and discussed his prospects of strengthening bilateral relations.
The foreign minister said Pakistan is determined to enhance bilateral cooperation with Tajikistan in diverse fields, including education, housing, infrastructure development, technology and energy.
He said the two countries have immense potential to expand multi-faceted bilateral cooperation, including trade. He said it is welcoming that the leadership of both the countries has been endeavouring to further strengthen the bilateral ties.
He said timely completion of important projects like CASA-1000 will help establish energy corridor between South Asia and Central Asia.
The foreign minister apprised the Tajik President about Pakistan’s reconciliatory efforts and its fruits in Afghanistan. He said Pakistan will continue its efforts for regional peace and stability.
He said Pakistan believes that durable peace in Afghanistan is inevitable for progress and prosperity of the region. He said Tajikistan’s efforts for peace in Afghanistan are also commendable.
The Tajik President thanked the Foreign Minister and the Pakistani leadership for the warm welcome and hospitality.
The visit is taking place at the invitation of Prime Minister Imran Khan. President Rahmon has visited Pakistan seven times since 1994. His last bilateral visit was in November 2015. In the multilateral context, President Rahmon visited Pakistan for the 13th ECO Summit held in Islamabad in March 2017.
