Doha, Qatar: In support of the fraternal relations between the State of Qatar and the Republic of Tajikistan and their friendly peoples, the Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani held a meeting with the President of the Republic of Tajikistan H E Emomali Rahmon at the Lusail Palace, to discuss the relations of friendship and standing cooperation between the two countries and ways to enhance and develop them on all fronts, in addition to the most prominent issues and developments in the regional and international arenas. The state visit of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan is an embodiment of the State of Qatars strategy set by H H the Amir to build bridges and adopt an approach of openness to all world countries, in addition to establishing strong ties with various sisterly and friendly states.
The visit emphasizes the strength of bilateral ties, enhance and develop them further to reach a strategic partnership, especially in terms of the economy, trade, and investment, in service of the two friendly countries and their peoples. The Qatar-Tajikistan ties date back to 1994, when the two countries establish diplomatic relations on the sidelines of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit held in Morocco. As a result, the Qatari embassy in Dushanbe opened its doors in 2012, whereas the Tajik embassy in Doha followed suit in 2013, as such, this year marks the 30th anniversary of establishing bilateral relations, which is happening at a time when bilateral relations are flourishing and witnessing steady development on various levels. The strong relations that bind the two countries stem from their peoples spiritual and historical ties on the one hand, and from the brotherly relations between both countries leaders: the Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and President of the Republic of Tajikistan H E Emomali Rahmon, who share a mutual keenness to advance relations to farther extends.
Trust and mutual respect form the basis for both countries ties, especially that the State of Qatar was the first Arabian Gulf country to recognize Tajikistans independence and the first Arab country to invest in it through the $300 million-worth Diar Dushanbe project. Furthermore, Qatar financed the construction of Central Asias largest mosque: Imam Azam Abu Hanifa Nu’man ibn Thabit Central Mosque of Dushanbe whose area stretches over 12 hectares and has the capacity of accommodating 133,000 worshippers at a time. Mutual official visits of the highest order helped strengthen relations between Doha and Dushanbe, during which a number of bilateral agreements and MoU were signed, in addition to various ministerial, commercial, and investment delegations exchanging visits.
One of the most prominent bilateral summit-level official visits was when the Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani paid Tajikistan a state visit in June 2023, and the visit of H H in June 2019 to participate in the 5th Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA). On the other hand, President of the Republic of Tajikistan H E Emomali Rahmon paid his first official visit to Qatar in May of 2007 while His Excellencys second official visit took place in February of 2017.
During the state visit made by H H the Amir to Tajikistan in June of 2023, H H held official talks withPresident Emomali Rahmon at the presidential Palace of Nations in Dushanbe, discussing bilateral friendly and cooperation relations as well as ways to strengthen and develop them in various fields.
H H the Amir and H E the President attended the signing ceremony of a number of agreements and MoU on bilateral cooperation in trade, agriculture, food security, the protection of endangered wildlife, sports, youth affairs and physical education in addition to defense.
Qatar and Tajikistan share similar stances on an array of crucial regional and international issues and dossiers, with both countries being eager on cooperation to maintain international security and peace. The two states also work closely in the framework of regional and international organizations, such as the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), and the Asia Cooperation Dialogue. As part of their continuous bilateral political talks, both countries foreign ministries held a round of talks in the Tajik capital in May, whereby they discussed bilateral cooperation, in addition to a number of topics of mutual interest.
The Qatar-Tajikistan joint labor committee convened in Dushanbe in February to discuss aspects of joint cooperation and the exchange of expertise in the field of labor affairs, facilitating the recruitment of specialized laborers from Tajikistan, the mechanisms for implementing the signed bilateral agreement regarding the organization of the workforce, among other topics on the agenda.
The Qatari and Tajik sides signed an agreement to establish the Qatar-Tajikistan Joint Business Council in order to facilitate bilateral communication in an effort to raise trade and economic cooperation as well as enhance the exchange between the private sector of both countries in terms of trade, investment, technological transfer, services, industry. Furthermore, the Council aims to encourage businesspersons from the two countries to participate in exhibitions held in Qatar and Tajikistan.
The Republic of Tajikistan is taking part in the Expo 2023 Doha through its pavilion which introduces visitors to the countrys history, culture, attractions, arts, and Islamic religious and cultural heritage. Tajikistan is exhibiting an eagerness to enhance relations with the State of Qatar and considers it as a main partner internationally, calling on Qatari businesspersons to invest in various Tajik sectors, be it in hydraulic energy, banking and financial services, metals, tourism, and agriculture. Tajikistan is currently implementing promising economic programs, with the country ranking 6th among the most advanced countries in terms of hydraulic energy, the source of 98 percent of the countrys electricity. Tajikistan also enjoys a competitive economic environment and possesses four economic zones focusing on mining, energy, and textile. Moreover, the country offers a competitive market for investments and provides a range of foreign investment guarantees including 240 advantages and facilities such as those regarding its taxation and customs laws.
