China willing to enhance cooperation with Tajikistan: Premier Li


China is willing to enhance cooperation with Tajikistan in trade, energy, transportation and agriculture, Premier Li Keqiang said on Saturday.
Li made the remarks when meeting with Tajik Prime Minister Kokhir Rasulzoda in Dushanbe. This is Li's first official visit to the country as premier.
Li congratulated Rasulzoda on Tajikistan's success in holding the 17th meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Orgnization. Both leaders attended the meeting on Friday.
Noting that China-Tajik relations are presenting a healthy development momentum in many areas of cooperation, Li said China is willing to align its Belt and Road Initiative with the development of Tajikistan to further bolster pragmatic cooperation.
He called on both countries to improve trade structure and expand trade volume, adding that China supports competent enterprises with good credit to cooperate with Tajikistan in areas of energy, power and mining, and to further cooperate in processing and production capacity.
Cooperation in connectivity, such as transportation, energy and port infrastructure, should be enhanced, Li said. He also called on the two countries to cooperate further in tourism, education and young talent exchanges.
Both China and Tajikistan should enhance cooperation under the SCO framework to further contribute to regional stability and improving people's livelihood, Li said.
For his part, Rasulzoda described Li's visit as "substantial and fruitful". He said Tajikistan is willing to positively participate in constructing the Belt and Road, and enhance cooperation with China in areas of trade, energy, transportation, agriculture, investment and financing.
The two leaders witnessed the signing of a number of cooperative documents regarding trade, customs, and local cooperation.