Tajik President Emomali Rahmon invited his Uzbek counterpart Shavkat Mirziyoyev to come to Tajikistan on an official visit at a time convenient for him, the press service of the Uzbek government said in a message.
Emomali Rahmon made the invitation during a meeting with the Uzbek delegation, which took part in the fourth meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation held in the city of Dushanbe Dec. 27-28.
The message said that Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have big plans to further develop fruitful cooperation, implement joint projects of an economic nature, develop cultural and interethnic dialogue.
"A wide range of topical issues of bilateral cooperation, including the basic parameters of interaction in the fields of economy and trade, transport, industry, culture, education, sport and health care was considered within the framework of the meeting," the message said.
It was decided to hold the next meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in Tashkent in 2017.
Uzbekistan and Tajikistan have had no bilateral relations since the early 90's. The two countries had no air traffic, there were virtually no commercial, economic and political ties.
The relations began to establish in the current year: the first charter flight from Tashkent to Dushanbe since 1992 took place Nov. 30. The sides also agreed to restore regular flights since the beginning of 2017. It is also planned to establish railway and bus links, as well as facilitate the visa regime, which has been in force since 2000.
In early 2017, Tashkent plans to organize in Dushanbe a grandiose exhibition of goods manufactured in Uzbekistan - starting from production of Uzbek car industry to food products. Following the exhibition in Dushanbe, the first business forum of Tajik and Uzbek entrepreneurs will take place.
