Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Jononov Sherali, Ambassador of Tajikistan in Pakistan said that Tajikistan and Pakistan are keen on boosting the bilateral trade and economic relations. Both countries are actively working on increasing the ground and air links for the purpose.

During the exclusive interview with Daily Times Tajik Ambassador in Pakistan said strengthening bilateral trade and economic relations are our priorities and thus bilateral trade has steadily risen to 90 million dollars. Tajikistan has become the first country in Central Asia to start direct flight to Pakistan which will decrease flight cost to 1/3 of the indirect flight, he said.

He announced that on May 06, flight operation has started from Lahore to Dushanbe and beginning of direct flight operation and there will be two flights per week on this route.

Besides enhanding the economic ties of the two countries, direct flights would increase economic ties and people-to-people contact as well, Jononov Sherali said, comparing the cost of direct and indirect flights an indirect flight costs Rs. 120,000 while the direct flight will cost only Rs. 35,000. Since it is a lot cheaper, it is likely that the number of passengers will also increase.

Tajikistan, he said is the world’s third largest producer of hydroelectric power after the US and Russia. Pakistan hosted thousands of the Tajik refugees during the war with Russia and still there are more than one million Tajiks living in Pakistan, he praised

Tajikistan is in a dire need of access to the world through Pakistani port like Gwadar and is the only Persian speaking country and the inhabitants of this mountainous country have deep cultural, linguistic and religious ties with Pakista, he said, adding simply Pakistan and Tajikistan are having historical relations with each other.

Tajik envoy was of the view that since Pakistan and Russia were making efforts to forge better economic ties including the signing of a government-to-government $2 billion deal for laying a liquefied natural gas (LNG) pipeline from Karachi to Lahore. Pakistani passengers can also use the Dushanbe route and take their next flight to Russia or even Europe. At present, no direct flights are operated between Pakistan & Russia, he added.

Talking about the bilateral relation Jononov said that our bilateral trade has steadily risen from $15 million in 2011 to $90 million between two countries. Tajikistan is the world’s third largest producer of hydroelectric power after the US and Russia. Hydroelectric generation accounts for 76 percent of the total energy output in the country.

An estimated 3,908 million KWh of electricity was exported from Tajikistan in the year 2000, he said, adding implementation of the large scale of hydro power projects at Sunguta-1, Santuda-2 and restoration of construction at most large electricity project – Rogoun and some others will be served for the interests of the whole region and should become the illustration of the strengthening ties between the peoples of the Asian countries.

To promote Pak-Tajik bilateral relations, for the last few years, both governments have exchanged high level of diplomatic and trade delegations, he said, adding the two countries have signed about twenty agreements, protocols and memorandums of understanding (MoU’s) to extend cooperation in energy, communications, insurance, investments and industry, air transport, banking and financial, agricultural and food industry, transport and constructions of roads, science and technology, education, health, tourism, culture on the basis of mutual equality and increase the current level of trade.

Pakistan really can be a gateway of the Central Asia for trade and commerce and that would be a tremendous source of revenue from the states of this region, the envoy said, adding from the Pakistan Point-of-view, and equally, it would provide opportunities for Central Asian states such as Tajikistan, to boost cheaper exports.

He was of the opinion that financial institutes and international organizations like IMB, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank, European Bank of Reconstruction and Development, European Commission and UNDP have assured their support for the energy transmission line project via Phule-Khumri and Kabul areas to Pakistan, to export electricity from Tajikistan. Both countries also agreed to cooperate in field of explorations, extraction and processing of gas and oil products, he added.

Tajik Ambassador appreciated Pakistani hospitality saying during the civil war in Tajikistan, Pakistan hosted thousands of refugees for several years. And with UN support some of them were sent back but still there are at least 1.2 million Tajiks living in Pakistan. Tajiks have historically, traveled to the region of Pakistan as technocrats, bureaucrats, soldiers, traders, scientists, architects, teachers, theologians and Sufis during the Islamic Sultanates and Mughal Empire and settled permanently. There are many shrines doted throughout Pakistan in honor of noted Tajik noblemen, he added.

In recent years, many Tajiks have also settled in Pakistan due to the economic conditions prevalent in their home country, many have settled in the northern city of Ishkuman, he said, adding in 1979, with the invasion by the Soviet Union of Afghanistan, a large number of Tajik refugees from that country 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.

In order to improve and promote the beneficial relations with the foreign countries, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan announced the strategy of “open door policy” for last period, which is reconsidering a successful policy, he said.

Talking about the relations with the countries of the common languages and cultural, he said that Tajikistan is developing its relation to these countries with the optimal speed.

He appreciated that the Pakistani investors and said that the bridge between Tajikistan & Afghanistan at the river of Punj has also been completed recently by the investment of Prince Karim Aghan Khan & USA with the participation of constructors of Italy & Norway. With the start of the construction in the capital, modern five star hotels by the investment of Russia, Turkey, India, and Prince Karim Agha Khan. A big textile factory is also under construction for weaving 8000 tons of cotton yearly.

The population of four neighboring states in the near future will become eye witness of the construction of small & large Hydro Power Stations, high electricity transmission lines from Tajikistan to Afghanistan and Pakistan, and establishing joint television channels for Tajik Persian speaking nations, the envoy said.

By the using of rich natural reserves and the local intellectual potential in the future Tajikistan will become one of the Central Asian developed state, he said. Now we hope that the relations between Tajikistan & Pakistan should become stronger and the people of the both countries to use this “friendship bridge”, he concluded.