Chinese FM meets with Tajik counterpart

TIANJIN, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Tajikistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sirojiddin Muhriddin in north China's Tianjin on Wednesday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that the leaders of the two countries have clarified the direction and made arrangements for developing the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in the new era between two countries.

China is willing to work with Tajikistan to implement the consensus reached between the two heads of state, prepare for the next stage of high-level exchanges, and jointly promote a successful Tianjin summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), he said.

China firmly supports Tajikistan in following a development path that is suited to its national conditions, supports Tajik President Emomali Rahmon's plans for the country's long-term development, and opposes any interference in Tajikistan's internal affairs by any force, said the minister.

Wang said China and Tajikistan should effectively implement the inter-governmental economic and trade cooperation plan, enhance connectivity between the two countries, strengthen practical cooperation in various fields such as investment, energy, counter-terrorism and security, and promote the continuous development of bilateral relations.

For his part, Muhriddin said that Tajikistan will fully support and cooperate with China to ensure the success of a historic SCO Tianjin summit.

Under the guidance of the two heads of state, bilateral relations have opened a new chapter and maintained a positive momentum of development, Muhriddin said.

He added that Tajikistan is willing to work with China to make full use of bilateral cooperation mechanisms, expand inter-party and inter-parliamentary exchanges, deepen cooperation in various fields including economy and trade investment, connectivity, medicine, informatization and education to promote the China-Tajikistan comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in the new era to a higher level. Enditem