President sets the stage for progress in talks with foreign leaders

Tajikistan

Emomali Rahmon, president of Tajikistan

China and Tajikistan should strengthen the connection of their economic policies, boost interconnectivity and enhance cooperation on production and equipment manufacturing, President Xi told his Tajik counterpart Emomali Rahmon on Friday.

The two countries have had important achievements in jointly building the Belt and Road, Xi said, adding that both sides should push forward high-level, innovative and multi-area cooperation.

Calling Tajikistan a friendly neighbor and a highly trusted strategic partner with close links, Xi said that they have maintained frequent high-level exchanges in recent years, with fruitful cooperation in such areas as trade, agriculture, infrastructure construction, energy and security.

The two nations have maintained close links under the United Nations and SCO frameworks, Xi said.

The Chinese president called on the two countries to deepen cooperation on disaster relief, facilitate trade and investment, and enhance cooperation on defense and law enforcement.

China seeks joint efforts with Tajikistan to seize the opportunity of the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations, enhance strategic cooperation, and push forward the China-Tajikistan strategic partnership to a higher level, he said.

Rahmon said that Tajikistan and China are good neighbors, friends and partners. Tajikistan cherishes its friendship with China and attaches great importance to China's role in global affairs, he said.

Tajikistan wants to connect its development strategy with the Belt and Road Initiative, and enhance cooperation with China in areas such as interconnectivity, electricity, agriculture and security, he said.