Dushanbe: Pakistan and Tajikistan have agreed on a comprehensive roadmap to increase bilateral trade to $200 million over the next three years. This agreement was reached during the 8th Session of the Joint Commission on Trade, Economic and Scientific-Technical Cooperation, held in Dushanbe.

According to Radio Pakistan, the session was co-chaired by Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, Pakistan’s Minister for Energy, Power Division, and Jum’a Daler Shofaqir, Tajikistan’s Minister of Energy and Water Resources. Both nations expressed their commitment to fostering deeper cooperation in areas such as trade, agriculture, energy, tourism, and connectivity. Plans were made to organize trade delegations, business-to-business meetings, and online interactions to enhance trade ties.

The session also saw the finalization of a Memorandum of Understanding between Tajikistan’s Agency for Export and Pakistan’s Trade Development Authority. Discussions on a Preferential Trade Agreement were initiated, with both sides agreeing to continue talks for its early completion. An additional agreement was made to strengthen government-to-government procurement via an MoU between Tajikistan’s Agency for State Material Reserves and Pakistan’s Trading Corporation.

The session also addressed energy collaboration, with both sides preparing to participate in the upcoming CASA-1000 Joint Working Group meeting in Istanbul. Tajikistan expressed interest in investment collaborations with Pakistan Petroleum Limited and Oil and Gas Development Company Limited in its exploration and production sector.

The roadmap includes commitments to enhance cooperation in agriculture, education, science, and technology. Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, during his visit, met with Tajikistan’s Prime Minister Kokhir Rasulzoda, reiterating Pakistan’s dedication to the CASA-1000 project’s timely completion and advocating for direct flights and visa facilitation between the two countries.

Both sides emphasized the need for sustainable trade and connectivity routes, suggesting more frequent Joint Commission meetings to maintain the momentum of their elevated bilateral relationship.