Bilateral trade up 24% as Lavrov visits Dushanbe
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has arrived in Tajikistan, where he is meeting with the Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin, and will visit Russia’s 201st military base in the country.
During the meetings, the parties are discussing bilateral relations, political, trade, economic and humanitarian cooperation between Russia and Tajikistan and the regional and the global agenda. The latter involves coordination of efforts on international platforms, among them the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, as well as managing the United Nations.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to observing the rights of Tajik migrants in Russia, Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin said. “Cooperation in migration affairs was discussed in detail during the negotiations. With respect to regulating migration processes, the Russian side confirmed that rights and freedoms of our citizens in Russia must be respected during scheduled and unscheduled inspections,” Muhriddin said.
Tajik migrant workers are utilized in Russia’s agricultural industry and are a source of inbound finance for the Tajik economy. However, some problems exist with human trafficking and Tajik mafia exploitation.
Russia and Tajikistan should also coordinate their steps on the international arena, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said while meeting with his Tajik counterpart Sirojiddin Muhriddin in Dushanbe.
“We need to further maintain coordination on the international arena, primarily in the United Nations, as befits friends and allies. It is impossible to address issues on one’s own today, and therefore, regional integration processes and formats in Central Asia and the Eurasian continent have been drawing increasingly more attention. We closely cooperate in these formats, including in the CSTO [Collective Security Treaty Organization] and SCO [Shanghai Cooperation Organization]. I am convinced that we will be able to discover new paths today, which would enable us to maintain this cooperation even more actively and efficiently in the best interests of our peoples.” Lavrov stated.
Tajikistan is a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, both of which include Russia.
Russia-Tajikistan bilateral trade reached US$1.674 billion last year, an increase of 24% compared to pre-Ukraine conflict trade. The investment of Russia into Tajik projects, and the establishment of an industrial joint venture in Tajik FEZ are parts of the growing business trend between the two countries. The main exports of Russia to Tajikistan are refined oil, seed oil, and crude iron ingots. The main export products of Tajikistan to Russia are pure non-retail cotton yarn, raw cotton, and dried fruits.
Source: Russia Briefing