ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Tajikistan Monday agreed to further expand and enhance their bilateral relations and achieve the target of US $ 500 million bilateral trade.
The agreement was reached during meetings of visiting Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan Nizomiddin Zohidi here at the Foreign Office.
The two sides agreed that all efforts should be made to achieve the target of US $ 500 million for bilateral trade as decided by the leadership of the two countries during the visit of the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to Tajikistan in June 2014.
Tajik Deputy Minister Nizomiddin Zohidi Shamsiddin Zohidi paid a courtesy call on Adviser to Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz.
Delegation level talks were held with Special Secretary Foreign Affairs Amjad Hussain B. Sial. Ambassador of Tajikistan was also present during the meeting.
The Special Secretary highlighted the importance the Pakistan attached to the fraternal relations with Tajikistan.
He stressed that there existed a great potential to further enhance existing trade volume. It was encouraging to note that political relations, defence and security cooperation and economic cooperation between the two countries were improving day to day, he added.
The meeting also covered wide range of other topics, including connectivity via rail and road, direct flights, Trilateral Transit Trade Agreement, energy cooperation including CASA-1000 Power Import Project, cooperation against international terrorism and extremism and security cooperation between the two sides, and regional and international issues.
Both the countries agreed to hold regular consultations and next consultations would take place in Dushanbe in 2016.
The Tajik Deputy Foreign Minister also called on Minister of Commerce and Minister of State of Water and Power and discussedissues of mutual interest.