Tajik president eager for Hu's visit

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-08-21 09:56

DUSHANBE -- Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon said he was eager for Chinese President Hu Jintao's upcoming visit to the country, expressing his belief that their scheduled meeting will give a new and strong momentum to all-around bilateral cooperation.

During a recent interview with Xinhua and some other Chinese media, Rakhmon said he and Hu in the meeting will not only reiterate principles for developing bilateral ties, but coordinate on major bilateral, regional and international issues.

Rakhmon voiced his belief that Hu's visit will be conducted in a sincere, friendly and cooperative atmosphere, and produce satisfactory results.

President Hu is slated to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe and paya visit to Tajikistan in late August.

Rakhmon said Tajikistan-China relations, starting from zero, have reached a level of strategic partnership, adding the two countries' leaders and peoples treat each other frankly and have high mutual trust.

The two countries successfully solved border disputes left over by history, while bilateral trade has increased rapidly and economic cooperation has expanded continuously, the president said.

The two sides have carried out various cooperation within the framework of the SCO and the United Nations, and made outstanding achievements in political, economic, cultural and security cooperation, he added.

Rakhmon said Tajikistan and China have the same views toward the current world, and keep common standpoints on many international political and economic issues.

The two countries are devoted to maintaining regional security, jointly fighting international terrorism, separatism, extremism and drug trafficking, he said.

Tajikistan completely supports China's efforts in realizing its peaceful reunification, and opposes "Taiwan independence" in any forms, he stressed.

Tajikistan has kept a firm and unchanged stance on the issues related to China's reunification, sovereignty, territorial integrity and anti-separatism efforts, the president said.

Rakhmon said China was the first country outside the former Soviet Union region that he visited as the head of state in March 1993.

In January last year, he also chose China as the first country to visit two months after being reelected as president.

"These facts showed we attach great importance to ties with China," Rakhmon said.

The president also said, "Every time I visited China, I saw fabulous and tremendous changes, and felt prosperity, opening-up and good social order there. China is undergoing high-speed development, and realizing its modernization with the latest scientific fruits. China's achievements in aerospace are not only a pride for the Chinese people, but for the whole Asia."

"We are sincerely happy about the achievements made by China, which is our great eastern neighbor. China is playing a very important role in Asia's geopolitics. I firmly believe China in the new millennium definitely will wield more and more important and positive influence in international political and economic affairs," he said.

Meanwhile, Rakhmon said Tajikistan currently has entered a new stage of development.

Its policies focus on realizing continuous economic development, making the people get more social welfare, and reducing poverty, he said.

In order to reach these goals, Tajikistan is trying to attract more foreign investment and establish free economic zones, said the president, who expressed his hope that China's successful experience would help in this regard.

Rakhmon said Tajikistan very much hopes to expand and deepen cooperation with China in trade and economy, transportation, science and technology, energy, mining, agriculture, telecommunication and infrastructure, and to push forward border and regional trade cooperation with China. The Tajik government will provide good conditions and judicial protection for Chinese companies in the country, he added.

Rakhmon said developing ties with China is one of the strategic pivots for Tajikistan's foreign policies.

To strengthen the neighborly, friendly and cooperative ties between Tajikistan and China is in the fundamental interests of the two countries and peoples, and is helpful to maintain peace, security and stability in Europe, Asia and even the world, he added.

"Therefore, we will spare no efforts in bringing the Tajikistan-China relationship to a new high, and make the friendship go ahead generation after generation," the president said.