Envoy: Iran has no limitation for boosting Tajik ties

International Desk

The Islamic Republic is faced with no limitation for the expansion of relations with Tajikistan, said the Iranian ambassador to Dushanbe.

Making the remark in a congratulatory message on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Tehran and Dushanbe, Mohammad-Taqi Saberi added Iran has had a pioneering role in improving Tajikistan’s infrastructure and the Central Asian country’s greater development and prosperity, IRNA reported.

He said Jan. 9, 2022 marks the 30th anniversary of the two countries’ relations, noting that ties between Iran and Tajikistan are based on their age-old and unbreakable cultural, religious, civilizational and historical links as well as the common language.

The ambassador added Iran was the first country to recognize Tajikistan as an independent state and open its embassy in Dushanbe.

“Iran has always supported ensured peace and stability in Tajikistan and played an active, important and distinguishing role in these regards. Iran stepped up to end the 1990s civil war in the country and hosted several rounds of peace talks among Tajiks.”

No country in the world is as close and attached to Tajikistan as Iran, the reason for which is the two sides’ racial, historical, cultural and religious similarities, Saberi added.

The ambassador stressed that Tajikistan has a high status in Iran’s foreign policy, saying Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has described the relations between the two countries as a kind of “kinship”.

Owing to Tajikistan’s importance for Iran, President Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi chose the country as his first foreign visit destination, Saberi noted, saying Tajik President Emomali Rahmon also attaches great significance to ties with Iran.

“Numerous visits by the two sides’ senior officials to both countries since 1992 are indicative of their strong determination to boost bilateral ties in different fields.”

The Iranian envoy noted that over the past 30 years, more than 170 important cooperation documents have been signed between Tehran and Dushanbe.

The late September visit by the Iranian president to Tajikistan was a turning point in bilateral relations, which opened a new chapter in the two countries’ all-out cooperation, he said, adding during the trip, eight important documents were signed for collaborations in different sectors.

In Monday remarks in a message on the same occasion, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said the upcoming Iran visit by the Tajik president can accelerate the growing trend already reflected by relations between Tehran and Dushanbe.

Expressing pleasure with 30 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries, Amir-Abdollahian said during the period, Iran and Tajikistan have had friendly and brotherly relations on the back of their historical and civilizational commonalities and common language.

He said the Raeisi administration has identified the expansion of relations with neighboring countries as its most important foreign policy priority, noting that, to this end, Tajikistan has a special status.

The minister noted that during the Raeisi’s trip to Dushanbe the ground was prepared for the Islamic Republic’s permanent membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), with Tajikistan’s assistance.

Amir-Abdollahian said the upcoming visit by the Tajik president can be another effective step toward the expansion and improvement of the two sides’ cooperation.

In late September, at its 21st summit in Dushanbe, the SCO formally accepted Iran as the new member of the Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance.

Source: Iran daily