ISLAMABAD: A new transit trade agreement among three regional countries closely interlinked with each other; Pakistan-Afghanistan and Tajikistan is likely to be signed in near future. All three countries developed an understanding during recent visit of the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to Pakistan.
Relations between the two states were established when the republic of Tajikistan became independent following the collapse of the USSR and trade and cooperation has steadily grown between the two nations, with several summits being held on how to improve bilateral trade. In March 2008 Said Saidbaig, the Tajik Ambassador, announced that his country would be able to export cheap electricity to Pakistan and Iran.
Moreover, a well placed source privy to Commerce Minister told this scribe here that MoC had handed over draft proposals for a memorandum of agreement (MoU) between trade promotion organizations of Pakistan and Tajikistan to the visiting Tajik Foreign Ambassador Sirodjidin Aslov here.
Besides enhancing bilateral trade between both the countries, the said draft of MoU advocates for increasing the volume of trade exhibitions, simplify trade procedures as well as visa process for businessmen hailing from Pakistan and Tajikistan.
The source said that the visiting Tajik Foreign Minister Sirodjidin Aslov held a detailed discussion with Commerce Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan here in this regard.
The source said that Pakistani side initiated the MoU between trade promotion organizations of both the countries to further facilitate traders and business community in carrying out trade activities for the benefit of people of Pakistan and Tajikistan.
The source said that Commerce Minister also pressed on initiating dialogue between both the government for the establishment of Joint Business Council (JBC) and asked the visiting foreign minister to nominate representatives from his country for the JBC.
Moreover, the source said that Pakistani side also asked the guest minister to start negotiations on signing preferential trade agreement (PTA) between Pakistan and Tajikistan which would eventually lead to the signature of Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
Similarly, the Minister for Commerce also raised the issue of cheaper energy supply to Pakistan from Tajikistan through Wakhan strip as both the Asian Development Bank and Islamic Development Bank had expressed willingness for provision of required funding for the said project; CASA-1000.
Source said that both sides agreed to comprehensively upgrade bilateral cooperation in diverse fields – including trade, economic cooperation, energy and connectivity as well as highlighted the crucial role of road and air connectivity in giving a spurt to bilateral trade and economic interaction and people-to-people exchanges.
The source said that Sirodjidin Aslov reaffirmed Tajikistan’s desire to enhance cooperation in number of areas – including science and technology, agricultural products, industry, hydro power generation, pharmaceuticals, and tourism.
The source said that both the ministers also agreed that bilateral security and defence cooperation was developing satisfactorily as well as noted the progress on CASA-1000 project and agreed on fast tracking its implementation.
It is pertinent to note here that telations between Pakistan and Tajikistan are marked by cordiality and close cooperation. The two countries share similar views on major regional and international issues and collaborate closely in multilateral fora including UN, OIC, ECO, and SCO.
Moreover, the two countries are only 10 miles (17 km) at their closest point and there are at least 1.2 million Tajik nationals in Pakistan. In recent years, many Tajiks settled in Pakistan due to the worst economic conditions t in their home country, many have settled in the northern city of Iskkuman. In 1979, with the invasion by the Soviet Union in Afghanistan a large number of Tajik refugees came and settled throughout Pakistan. Exact numbers are difficult to ascertain as many don’t have official identity cards or are counted as being Chitrali or Gilgiti in official census figures.
