DUSHANBE, Tajikistan: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday hoped that Pakistan and Tajikistan would be able to achieve their target of $500 million soon.
In a meeting with his Tajik Counterpart Qohir Rasulzoda at the State Guest House in Dushanbe, Nawaz Sharif said that there was a tremendous potential to boost trade between the two Countries.
During the meeting, the prime minister was accompanied by his Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, Minister of Commerce Khurram Dastgir and Minister for Water & Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif.
The two sides agreed on the need of exploring new avenues of cooperation in agriculture, education and culture sectors besides improving business-to-business and people-to-people ties.
The two leaders noted the improvement in bilateral trade and called for identifying the weak areas and to take necessary measures to address these issues.
They pointed the need to determine new traditional and non-traditional trading goods and services. In this regard, they directed the Joint Ministerial Commission to formulate a comprehensive framework.
Both the sides also agreed on the need to holding exhibitions to promote their products. They also noted the need of resumption of flights between the two Countries to boost people-to-people and business-to-business contacts.
Sharif said that both the sides were committed to further strengthening their relationship in diverse spheres so as to build into a multi-dimensional partnership.
Nawaz Sharif also reiterated Pakistan’s offer to utilise its ports and connectivity with the rest of the world to boost Tajik exports to the rest of the world. He said Gwadar was the gateway to other Central Asian Countries and beyond.
The Tajik prime minister welcomed Pakistan’s inclusion into the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and hoped it would be beneficial for the security of the entire region. He also pointed to the holding of the Joint Commission on Energy and Infrastructure on the sidelines of his visit.
Both the leaders expressed the belief that early completion of the CASA 1000 and its completion by 2018 would be beneficial for the people of the region.
