Islamabad, December 11, 2024 – The Europe Today: The seventh Pakistan-Tajikistan Joint Commission meeting concluded on Wednesday in Islamabad with significant achievements, including the signing of two landmark Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and protocols aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation. The meeting, co-chaired by Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Power Division, Sardar Awais Leghari, and Tajikistan’s Minister for Energy and Water Resources, Jum’a Daler Shofaqir, was hosted by the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
The first MoU established a historic partnership between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan and Khatlon province in Tajikistan, fostering collaboration and mutual development. The second MoU highlighted an exciting venture between the football federations of Pakistan and Tajikistan, aimed at enhancing the sports landscape in both countries.
As part of the ongoing efforts to boost economic engagement, a business-to-business (B2B) forum has been scheduled for December 13, 2024, to strengthen commercial ties between the two nations.
Commitment to Strengthening Bilateral Relations
Speaking on the occasion, Minister Sardar Awais Leghari underscored the deep-rooted historical and cultural ties between Pakistan and Tajikistan, noting that Pakistan was among the first countries to recognize Tajikistan’s independence in 1991. He emphasized shared religious, historical, and cultural bonds as the foundation of their partnership.
Leghari reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to advancing collaboration in trade, energy, agriculture, education, and industry. He proposed the establishment of a Joint Coordination Committee on Transit Trade under the Tajikistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement and highlighted the strategic importance of Pakistan’s location as a gateway to Central and West Asia for Tajik investments and trade corridors under the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program.
He also stressed the swift completion of the CASA-1000 energy project, which promises substantial benefits for both countries, and called for enhancing tourism and cultural exchanges to strengthen people-to-people ties.
Tajikistan’s Perspective
Minister Jum’a Daler Shofaqir expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s role in fostering bilateral relations and highlighted the shared vision of regional prosperity. He acknowledged the significant progress in trade and cooperation and reiterated Tajikistan’s commitment to working closely with Pakistan in key areas such as energy, trade, agriculture, and education.
He echoed the importance of completing the CASA-1000 project and emphasized Tajikistan’s dedication to deepening economic ties with Pakistan.
Strategic Discussions
Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Dr. Kazim Niaz, highlighted the potential for expanded collaboration, citing the modest bilateral trade volume of USD 23.46 million in 2022-2023. He called for exploring additional trade opportunities and noted progress made through Joint Working Groups in trade, transport, and energy cooperation.
In a one-on-one meeting, Sardar Awais Leghari and Jum’a Daler Shofaqir discussed strategies to enhance economic cooperation and resolve trade challenges, reaffirming their commitment to unlocking new avenues of growth and mutual prosperity.
The meeting concluded on an optimistic note, with both sides expressing confidence that the deliberations and agreements would pave the way for a stronger bilateral partnership.
